Chevrolet Bolt EV Complaints (2017)

350 consumer complaints on file.

#11426455July 26, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
GM has now issued a second recall on my 2017 Bolt EV battery, due to fire. Current guidance from GM/Chevrolet is to not leave the vehicle unattended while charging and to leave outside. This is not workable for me, as I'm not able to charge my vehicle outside and it's not sustainable to leave my car charging within my garage. I would like to participate in GM's "Buy Back" program, whereby they'll buy my vehicle back from me at original purchase price - - or - - offer me options of moving to a similar model/trim line in the current 2022 model year. The fire risk introduced with the vehicle puts me, my family and my property at significant risk and I am unable to use the vehicle in the manner it was originally designed. I'm unable to charge the battery or get appropriate mileage based on the initial design.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426530July 26, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has a well known recall with a defective battery. This vehicle is my only vehicle and I have opened a case with general motors to get a resolution for this recall. They created a case for my vehicle and said they will call back with a resolution after a week. Several weeks later, I have yet to receive a response and my case manager has been unresponsive to my phone calls and voicemails. I have called GM almost daily asking for an update from anyone who can review my case and give any sort of update. They continue to tell me they will call back with an answer but I have yet to receive a call back. After several weeks of no response, I am left with an unsafe vehicle and no resolution. I would appreciate any sort of update with even a little bit of information and possibly a rough time estimate. GM seems to be handling these cases poorly and has not been transparent with vehicle owners.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426578July 26, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has a faulty battery pack and current recall reduces driving capability from 200 miles to 110 (90% full to min of 70 miles ) this is a total 45% reduction in driving capability. Additionally charging capability is reduced 66% (16/24) as I am unable to charge at work (8 hours) or while asleep (8 hours) due to recent recall. This is an unacceptable degradation in vehicle capability especially while within the battery warranty (100k miles).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426579July 26, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has intermittent master sound. All vehicle sounds (indicators, warning sounds, GPS navigation, radio) will turn off completely for between 0.5 and 10 seconds before returning to normal. Frequency is random with no logical correlations aside from a pattern of high occurrences followed by a day or two of low occurrences. Dealer has been notified twice and unable to solve issue both times.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426318July 25, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Battery pack is failed and needs replacing, attempts have already been made to no avail. We should have our batteries replaced at no expense along with loaner provided until completed. Than you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426379July 25, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I own a 2017 Chevy bolt and the batteries are catching fire on a high state of charge which should not happen. Chevy offered a final "software fix" before which was supposed to fix the issue and prevent the batteries from overcharging and catching fire. The software update/diagnostic was also supposed to be able to tell Chevy which battery cells had problems. THIS DID NOT WORK. Chevy bolts continued to catch fire after this software fix . Well the new issue is that Chevy now has a new recall for the bolt to replace the problem battery cells in the pack. The problem is they could NOT identify which were the problem cells before with their software fix. And they're going to use software diagnostics again to try and isolate the problem cells and replace those. They have already proven their software does NOT work to diagnose problem cells in the battery pack. This new recall by chevy won't work and cars will continue to catch fire because Chevy is being cheap as [XXX]. They need to replace the complete battery packs and not individual cells in it. This is the only way because they're completely incompetent and incapable of finding individual problem cells. They need to replace whole packs with good packs to fix the issue. 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
#11426394July 25, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
After GM denied my request for repurchase “as there is a remedy for the Battery Fire issue” (less than 1 month ago) I completed the recall at my nearest dealership [it took a while as ‘my EV guy is on a 2 week vacation’ according to the service manager] I could only drive my car after 10 or so days only to find that the infotainment system has acquired a mind of its own! the radio volume has a huge time delay between the time that I command volume up or down and when that actually happens, and also both the rear and front view camera turn on randomly / alternate with the radio display while backing up and/or parking. this is obviously a bug in the software that started after the new battery monitoring software was installed (and supposedly got a pass while inspecting the pack on my vehicle) My vehicle would be available to inspect by the NHTSA upon request. Although initially it doesn’t appear to be a dangerous condition, if the software that is supposed to monitor the health of the battery pack is defective, how is it possible to trust it? I have not had the chance to have this issue checked by either the Dealership or an independent service facility or an insurance agent or the police, highway patrol or others. I got no warning signs, lights or any other type of advance notice of this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426240July 24, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
After issuing a second recall for my traction battery in my 2017 Chevy Bolt, I am no longer assured that GM is able to provide a reliable fix for the Battery Pack fire issue. I request that you order them to replace all affected battery packs before manufacturing any new EVs using this battery pack system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426242July 24, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I own a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt which is part of the recall announced today by GM. This is the second recall in less than a year for the same battery-related issue. It was supposed to have been fixed with a software update that I had completed in June. This software was supposed to identify defective batteries but it has not been successful as evidenced by the mounting number of fires that have happened after the “fix
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426262July 24, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I own a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt which is part of the recall announced today by GM. This is the second recall in less than a year for the same battery-related issue. It was supposed to have been fixed with a software update. However, I have not been able to get this software update because the only GM dealership within 100 miles that services Bolts has not received the diagnostic tool from GM yet. I continue to drive my car without a critical safety update because I have no reasonable way to get it. This software was supposed to identify defective batteries but it has not been successful as evidenced by the mounting number of fires that have happened after the “fix”. As such, we are now under a recall a second time. As a result of their own manufacturing issue, we are now limited to how we charge our vehicles, where we park and even the mileage range that we paid for, while GM attempts another fix. GM stated today that they will again be using software to identify defective cells in our batteries and only the ones that are deternined to be defective will have those cells or battery packs replaced. As you can imagine, I no longer trust GM to be able to successfully identify whether or not my battery is defective. I’m extremely disappointed by the fact that GM continues to cut corners in an effort to save money, despite such a serious safety issue that can affect so many. Myself, my livelihood and even people I park next to while out in public are at risk. GM must be forced to replace the entire battery pack in every vehicle affected by this recall. They must also provide loaner vehicles, or details on reimbursement for rental cars, to those who need them due to the fact that their vehicle is virtually unusable while they clean up their mess.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426272July 24, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
GM is still sitting on their hands and not replacing batteries as a whole. EVERY affected vehicle should receive a replacement battery pack. I have held off on the "fix" because I am only charging to 90 percent. Now GM says there still is an issue and has issued yet another recall. The batteries need to be replaced before someone dies.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426293July 24, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Battery pack is a known fire risk, yet GM continues to delay replacing all packs. After a 5 month effort communicating with GM, I was offered a buy-back for my vehicle which was thousands below market value and not nearly enough to replace my vehicle with a similar electric vehicle. Now we are instructed to limit usage, range, and charging of our vehicles for a second time. It is unknown how long it will take GM to remedy this situation. In the mean-time, the vehicles pose a significant risk to life and structures.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426140July 23, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2017-2019 model year Chevrolet Bolt EVs were recalled in November 2020 for battery fires (NHTSA Recall No. : 20V-701, Manufacturer Recall No. : N202311730). A temporary "fix" was released in 2021 which limited the maximum charge of the car's battery to 90%. This was followed with a "final fix" software update which returned full charging capabilities and added battery cell monitoring software. This software supposedly could detect faulty battery cells. The recall was considered resolved. More recently, at least two more Bolt EVs spontaneously combusted; these vehicles had received the final recall software update, and were not charged over 90%. This means two things; limiting the maximum charge level of the car did not protect consumers, and the final recall repair also did not protect consumers. Homes have been damaged, cars destroyed, people injured (no deaths so far, fortunately) and Bolt owners live in a constant state of unease. A new recall has been issued: Manufacturer Recall Number: N212343880, NHTSA Recall Number: 21V560. In addition, Bolt owners have been instructed to park their cars outside, charge only during the day (also outside), and maintain a charge level between ~30-90% at all times. This leaves us with ~36kWh, approximately 90-150 miles of range in warm weather (as opposed to the advertised 239 miles on a full charge). All of these restrictions are simply not possible for many people, especially those of us who live in cold weather environments, which vastly limits the range of the car. Others have no choice but to park their car in underground parking garages, which puts hundreds of people at risk. The new recall does not currently have a remedy, but it states faulty battery cells/assemblies or packs will be replaced. GM failed to detect faulty cells the first time after months of investigation, and I do not believe they will successfully detect them now. I urge NHTSA to force GM's hand: replace the entire battery pack, or buy back the vehicles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426150July 23, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This is the second safety recall against the same models of the Chevrolet Bolt. GM already attempted to fix this once, and it did not work. You must demand that GM replace the entire battery pack in every Bolt that is affected by this recall. For the second time in less than a year, due to their own manufacturing issues, they have limited our mileage range, this time even less so. We're unable to park in our garage, and can only charge when the car can be supervised. These limitations have been placed on us without any details from GM on how we can obtain loaner cars/reimbursement for rental cars. This issue not only puts myself, my family and my livelihood at risk, but it also puts others around me at risk, as the car can catch fire when it's not even on. I'm scared to drive it at this point, so will be storing it. GM attempted to fix this once with software that was supposed to identify defective batteries. That obviously did not work. I no longer trust them to be able to identify which battery/specific cell within the battery is defective, and demand that they replace my entire battery pack.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426163July 23, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
two recalls in the past year is suppose to address the battery fire safety issue announed by gm in late 2020. days after the final software fix by gm weeks ago, the "check engine" light was lit on my chevy bolt. a follow up service appointment was needed to replace faulty hardware. today, after gm announced a THIRD recall. I used a popular third party obd2 app to check the health of my chevy bolt, 4 different issues were reported: U0293, P0AC4, U0100, and U0073. Note that GM software reports zero issues from GM's app. At this point, I trust what the third party app is reporting and NOT GM's app. It appears GM is hiding these issues from Chevy Bolt owners. I have a service appointment with Chevy dealership next Monday to assess the state of my Bolt. Overall, i DONT FEEL SAFE with my Bolt anymore. Please follow up with GM to ensure the manufacturer will do the right fix this time. It's CLEAR to me this is a hardware issue no software patch will fix.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426165July 23, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
GM sold me a car with full battery that was safe to charge to 100%. 2 recalls in now I am going on 7 months unable to use the battery as sold to me due to potential fire risk. A risk multiplied by not being able to charge the car in a setting (in garage overnight) that is most common for EV drivers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426166July 23, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
General Motors failed to resolve an issue with batteries starting fires in select Chevy Bolts (an all electric vehicle). This a problem they’ve known about since at least 11/2020. Now we are awaiting the third “fix” for this problem. For months we’ve had to reduce our range and be careful about plugging the car in. GM’s temporary answer now (again) is to 1) Restrict our full battery charge - known as Hilltop mode (basically 200 miles summer/170 in the winter). 2) Not let the battery charge fall below 70 miles, and charge up to the hilltop mode limitation after each use. 3) Park outside after charging and don’t charge overnight. We may have to wait months or years for resolution, it’s already taken them 8 months to try 2 fixes that didn’t work. We are completely inconvenienced and our car may still burn up! We had a charger installed in our garage and don’t charge elsewhere. Our range radius has now shrunk to 60 miles for summer and 45 or less in winter. We live in the country 50-60 miles from a bigger city. The reason we chose a Bolt was for its range, which has been substantially reduced. We shouldn’t have to deal with the cost, time and inconvenience by having to charge halfway through a relatively short trip. We also have high forest fire danger currently, any fire besides damaging our property, could cause a wide area catastrophe. Overnight charging makes sense as we are using our vehicle during the day and we don’t charge during peak load times. We also park in the garage to protect from the elements and rodents. It also helps with keeping the battery from getting to cold. Mary Barra, GM’s CEO, on 6/5/14, said GM found “a pattern of incompetence and neglect” in the handling of a faulty ignition switch. She said she wanted GM employees to never forget this! GM has failed it’s customers again. We like our Bolt, but currently it’s an unacceptable safety risk and range is now too severely restricted from GM’s original range specifications.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426169July 23, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
GM has identified multiple flaws in their batteries on this electric vehicle that have led to a dozen fires, but the company has yet to find a final solution despite three recalls. The first recall was a temporary safety recall, but the second recall was supposed to fix the issue. They have, however, only installed software the is supposed to catch these fires before they begin and notify the owner. In fact, this second recall (the "final" recall) failed to stop two additional fires since installing the software update. Today, GM announced a recall to scan the batteries and, if they find a defect, replacing individual modules inside it. The previous recall (which failed to solve the problem) also depended on software to find the problem, and it was not effective. Even if the problem is fixed with this software scan, it is going to take months for the problem to be fixed. Their temporary solution is to leave the car outside, only charge during the day, and charge within a narrow range (which almost halves the range of the vehicle).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426172July 23, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
We need NHTSA to require that GM replace all batteries immediately. Allowing cars that might bust into flames is not acceptable. The 2017-2019 Bolts now have effectively 144 miles of range. Charging up to 90% of 238-mile total range gives you 214-miles of range at the new "full charge". And leaving 70 miles of range as your new 0 miles of range will bring you to a total range of 144 miles. Not allowing me to park my car in my garage because of fire hazards makes the matter even worst.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426177July 23, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
I've had to deal with the high voltage battery fire recalls multiple times on my vehicle. I rely on this beautiful to drive everywhere with my family and I don't feel confident in the safety of this vehicle anymore. The only way I will feel confident in the safety of this vehicle is if the entire battery pack is replaced, not individual modules. The other more sensible and cost efficient thing to do would be to buy back the effect of vehicles and replace them with 2021 and 2022 models. GM has done this for some customers that were lucky, but it's been proven that this is indeed more cost efficient than trying to figure out logistics and training for employees, to troubleshoot and debug individual modules. Please strongly consider this. Thank you!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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