Chevrolet Bolt EV Complaints (2021)

67 consumer complaints on file.

#11446754January 8, 2022
TIRES
on 7/2/21 I hit a curb at two miles per hour which caused a gash in the passenger front tire sidewall. I purchased the 21 Chevrolet Bolt and these Michelins are Bolt specfic, Michelin A/S selfseal because I work in construction and had a lot of flat repairs so selfseal was a primary driver for the lease. The tires have the sealant already inside which makes the tires heavy and cumbersome in handling. The sidewalls feel like they are buckling because the weight is in the tread and around it. These low rolling resistance tires have bad traction especially in wet conditions. I had to leave my car in an unsafe location and it took GM Roadside Assistance four days to get the car to the dealer. The bolt has no spare or sealant kit. I complained to GM and they offered me goodwill GM points which they later reneged on.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11445946January 3, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The part was not available for repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11444427December 20, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
While accelerating, the vehicle's drive system stopped functioning. The vehicle slowly came to a stop while displaying errors about the propulsion, and was no longer able to move under it's own power. All other systems were still working, however the hazard lights do not stay on when I had to try powering the vehicle off and back on again. The vehicle has been towed to a Chevrolet dealership for diagnosis.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11442270December 1, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Not Happy. I bought my Bolt assuming I would get the convivence and range of a fully functional vehicle. The restrictions imposed upon my and my Bolt are unacceptable. I can only charge in my garage unless I go the a pay for power source and wait around. I also prefer charging at overnight, after 2100 hrs, as I feel I am using less valuable energy. My employer has requested I do not park in the company lot or near any buildings. Very reasonable request under the circumstances. I think GM should allow me to rent a safe vehicle until my Bolt can be brought back to the original quality/range/safety standards! Please forward this to the powers that can make this happen. I will also be in contact with the appropriate governmental agencies, especially if my requests are ignored or denied. Happy holidays, Hope I do not burn up, [XXX] On Monday, November 29, 2021, 11:36:09 AM PST, Your Friends at Quality Chevy of Escondido <[email protected]> wrote: Hi [XXX], Great News! Chevrolet has announced that they will soon be releasing software that will allow 2019 models to be parked indoors after charging and lifting other limitations. Owners of the 2019 model year Bolt EV that have not had a battery module replacement will be contacted for software updates. New software for the remaining affected Bolts and EUV's is coming by Christmas. The new settings will lift limitations on indoor charging overnight, operating below 70 miles of range, and indoor parking after charging! Stay tuned to Quality Chevy for updates and more as we receive it. We hope you find the news helpful, and we thank you for your business! Happy Motoring, Your Friends in the Car Business Quality Chevrolet 1550 Auto Park Way Escondido, CA 92029 760-745-7221 INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11442192November 30, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
This is regarding the battery defect. I initially called into GM on August 31, 2021 to start this buyback and have not driven this since. It’s been parked on the street because I have a newborn and a 2 year old. It would be irresponsible of me to drive and charge this car while my children are here. There has been no progress while working with GM. They have ignored me and are unreachable. I went through BBB and the settlement has been approved, but GM still has not contacted me and is unreachable. My case number with GM: SR:9-6913861036 My case number with BBB (settlement has been reached but no response from GM): CHV2125923
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11441319November 22, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded at a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11437636October 21, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The warning message " Emergency Power Failure, Seek Service Immediately" appeared on the instrument panel. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated he was unable to restart the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the battery disconnect lever had failed. The contact stated the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer has notified the failure and offered the contact a vehicle buyback. The approximate failure mileage was 2,700.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11434352September 25, 2021
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
High voltage battery has been recalled due to fire risk on 8.20.2021. No remedy for repair has been performed and I have had difficulty getting information from GM regarding my vehicle swap due to the recall. The vehicle is becoming more unusable as the weather gets colder due to the charging limitations set in the recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11434100September 23, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle is under recall. GM has gone beyond what would be considered a reasonable time resolve the issue. The vehicle remains a danger and the suggested restrictions by GM are impossible to follow and still use the vehicle as intended. GM is considering a buy back of the vehicle on a case by case basis. GM should honor all requests for a buy back of the vehicle since they are unable to render the car safe and should not decide that some customers should continue to be in danger while others granted a buy back are able to be safe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11433718September 20, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had a exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact contacted the dealer and the dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11433485September 18, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
GM has rendered my vehicle useless. I drive hundreds of miles a day. I bought the 2021 Bolt in July with an estimated 259 mile range which was fine. That has now been slashed by 40% which isn’t adequate and is NOT the car I purchased. And parking it outside full time will likely result in rodent damage as they apparently like the soy plastic wrapping on the wires. Lastly, the GM Spokesman on Twitter stated that Bolt owners need to park 50’ away from other cars. This is all quite impossible. I bought this car brand new just 2 months ago and it’s now ruined for my use. I contacted GM on 8/24/21 and they stated that I could rent a car and submit the rental receipts and gas receipts to them for reimbursement. But, they would not commit to a timeframe for reimbursement. Anecdotally, people online who have gone this route have waited 6 months for reimbursement of their first month rental and gas. Which would mean that I would have to spend $12,000 before I would receive my first reimbursement check for the first months rental and gas. This I’m addition to the payments for the lemon I purchased. This is absurd. For a company that grossed $222 billion last year to expect their customers to spend that kind of money out of pocket. I bought the Bolt because it was the cheapest EV and I don’t have $12,000 to front GM. I recall in the not-too-distant past GM received a bailout with taxpayer dollars. The NHTSA should have the authority to force GM to pay for our rentals until they can fix their mess. It is clear that GM isn’t going to do the right thing. Just take a look at the case of the guy who’s Bolt burned up and GM said “fire invalidates the warranty” and refused to make him whole. GM told him if he didn’t like it then “he should sue”. Because they know just as the average Bolt buyer can’t shell out $12k for a rental he also can’t spend $15k for an Attorney to sue them. This is outrageous and GM shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11433405September 17, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I have been advised, my vehicle, (2021 Chevrolet Bolt with less than 2,000 miles) may spontaniously burst into flame because a faulty battery. I'm supposed to park thr car outside, away from other vehicles for an indefinate time. No repair is being offered by the dealer or General Motors. I am 81 years old, unable to safely acces my vehicle if is parked on the street in snowy weather. As a result, I am in danger due the weather conditions, let alone due to fires started in my garage while the Chevrolet Bolt is being charged. I demand immediate return of the money I paid for this worthless Chevrolet so I can buy another car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11433306September 17, 2021
STEERING, SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
At random times even while driving: First and most importantly, speed will read 0 MPH while driving. Second the following errors will appear on the dash: "Steering Assist Reduced Drive with Care" "Pedestrian Friendly Alert System" Also, the following lights in the dash light up: Brake System Warning Light Service Vehicle Soon Light Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light Service Electric Parking Brake Light Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak Light If this happens while driving I have experienced the following: If turning, the steering wheel will jerk because the vehicle loses power steering. If vehicle is in cruise control, the cruise control will disengage and the Regenerative Braking will quickly slow down the vehicle. I have taken the Vehicle to the GM dealership. They had the vehicle in their shop for a month and could not resolve the issue. The last thing they did to the vehicle was a complete reset. This has not resolved the issue and it is happening more frequently now.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11433275September 16, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Drivers have to follow unfair guidelines that cripple the car. I am not able to follow the GM guidelines without affecting my livelihood and how I use the car to commute and charging procedures overnight to achieve the needed range for daily commute. 1. Set your vehicle to a 90 percent state of charge limitation using Hilltop Reserve mode (for 2017-2018 model years) or Target Charge Level (for 2019-2022 model years) mode. Instructions on how to do this are available in the videos below. If you unable to successfully make these changes, or do not feel comfortable making these changes, GM is asking you to visit your dealer to have these adjustments completed. 2. Charge your vehicle more frequently and avoid depleting their battery below approximately 70 miles (113 kilometers) of remaining range, where possible. 3.Park your vehicle outside immediately after charging and do not leave your vehicle charging indoors overnight. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Nationwide recall confirmed by NHTSA Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, Appeared 8/20/21 according to NHTSA recall
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11432889September 14, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
It was recently brought to my attention that the Bolt EV vehicles have a very serious battery issue. I have not received any written or emailed information regarding this issue from Chevrolet and instead happened upon this issue in my social feeds. It is my understanding that the batteries pose a very serious risk of fire to the point that I must charge my vehicle below maximum capacity/range, I must not drive the vehicle to it's maximum listed range, and park it outside while charging so that the potential of my house catching on fire might be averted. As mentioned Chevrolet has not reached out to me to warn me of this issue, rather I've had to look up my VIN on their website for open recalls of which there is one regarding this specific issue. Outlining exactly what I've listed above, with no time frame or foreseeable fix available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11432040September 7, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
GM CHEVY has sold me a vehicle that has an explosive lithium LG battery. on 09/07/2021 GM called me and offered me a choice of having the battery replaced in my vehicle at a future unknown date or having the vehicle sold back to GM via the buy back program. GM refused to go into detail about either option and instead wanted me to make a decision without knowing the details on either option. I personally believe that GM does not give a [XXX] about the Bolt or the customer. GM has instructed me to park my vehicle out side my home and I stated "I live in a rural area and if the vehicle were to explode it would reduce the forest area around my home to ash. The vehicle is probably better off in my garage. I will install a fire detector in the garage, since GM doesn't give a [XXX] about the customers or the people that can be hurt. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11432039September 7, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
GM CHEVY has sold me a vehicle that has an explosive lithium LG battery. on 09/07/2021 GM called me and offered me a choice of having the battery replaced in my vehicle at a future unknown date or having the vehicle sold back to GM via the buy back program. GM refused to go into detail about either option and instead wanted me to make a decision without knowing the details on either option. I personally believe that GM does not give a [XXX] about the Bolt or the customer. GM has instructed me to park my vehicle out side my home and I stated "I live in a rural area and if the vehicle were to explode it would reduce the forest area around my home to ash. The vehicle is probably better off in my garage. I will install a fire detector in the garage, since GM doesn't give a [XXX] about the customers or the people that can be hurt. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11430469August 25, 2021
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while parking the vehicle and placing it into park, the vehicle lunged forward which resulted in the contact hitting the vehicle in front of them. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,700.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11430440August 25, 2021
POWER TRAIN
Driver had pulled up and stopped at red light with vehicle in D mode (normal drive). Driver had placed hand on gear shift lever and went to shift into L mode (one pedal driving) by using normally accepted procedure of pulling gear shift lever one click back to engage L mode or switch back to D mode. Hand or finger was apparently resting too far on top of gear shift lever push button and without knowing, vehicle shifted into R (reverse) instead of L mode (one pedal driving). When driver pushed accelerator pedal, vehicle lurched backward. Driver immediately applied braking to stop car and narrowly avoid collision with vehicle behind driver. Driver was able to duplicate this issue a second time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426174July 23, 2021
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
The blind spot warning system fails to work adequately. It triggers both false negative and false positives on both sides of the vehicle. It is available for inspection upon request. Even when there are no cars within a quarter mile of me, the lights may come on, alerting me to a non-existent car in my blind spot. If the light turns on properly, it doesn't always turn off when the car leaves my blind spot, just staying on indefinitely. It fails to detect approximately 50% of cars accurately when they enter or leave my blind spot. This defect puts others at risk, increasing the possibility of a side collision when the blind spot warning system fails to adequately inform the driver of an accurate blind spot status. The vehicle was taken to a dealership with an appointment, they refused to inspect or diagnose the problem, stating that myself, the driver, should read the manual and tinker with the vehicle settings. I informed them that I had already read the manual, it stated it may take some time to calibrate and it didn't mention any user accessible settings menu, but I had over 100 miles on the new vehicle at this point and was unable to locate any user settings. The dealership still refused to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle has only been inspected by myself. Besides the false negatives and false positives of the blind spot warning system, no other error messages have occurred. This issue propped up the day I was driving the new vehicle home from the dealership after purchasing. I have attempted to personally improve the performance of the blind spot warning system using documentation found online regarding previous models of my vehicle having similar issues, I have had moderate success with using metal tape akin to duct tape on the rear of the radar sensor that powers the blind spot warning system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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