Chevrolet Bolt EV Complaints (2019)

179 consumer complaints on file.

#11428141August 7, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Our 2019 bolt is overwhelmingly more likely to cause a fire than comparable ICE cars due to the battery defects. GM first tried to resolve this with a software “fix” that didn’t actually fix anything. There have continued to be fires with this “fix” applied. I park my car in a parking lot because I live in a townhome. Should it catch fire, my neighbors cars are also at risk of catching fire. I have nowhere available to park it to keep it away from other vehicles or property. GM says they’ll replace affected battery cells but isn’t giving a timeline or telling customers how they intend to know which parts of the battery are affected or how they can say with certainty that parts that are unaffected will remain that way. GM isn’t standing by their product at all, and they’re leaving customers out to dry. Now not only is my personal safety and that of my family at risk, but my neighbors as well. The car has decreased functionality since GMs guidance is to both not fully charge the car and to not let the charge drop below 70 miles of range. Knowing these limitations I would not have bought a full price new car. I’ve tried to work with GM on this issue but they refuse to do anything. The trade in value for this car has plummeted so it would be a financial loss to sell it and I have no other car to use. This is now the second recall for this issue and the statements from GM on how they intend to fix it don’t inspire confidence. They must be held accountable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427581August 3, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle was driving in DRIVE mode, and began to surge as if it was regenerating hard (Felt as if downshifted quickly in a manual), which was odd since it was in DRIVE not LOW. Pulled over and placed the car in PARK. Car began to smoke (First noticed from the front underbody). Exited the vehicle and got far away. Called 911 and gave the dispatcher the information. The car lit on fire. Called 911 let them know the fire had begun. Car fully burned by the time the fire department was able to put out the fire. -What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Unknown, and it will be available for inspection if requested. -How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The fire could have easily killed someone and having to stand on the shoulder of a multilane highway next to a blaze was dangerous. -Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? There is no vehicle left after the fire (Total loss confirmed by insurance) -Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Insurance Co. has. GM will be -Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning lights appeared at any time
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427618August 3, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V560000 (Electrical System) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part for the recall repair was not yet available The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and a case was opened. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427366August 1, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
We own a 2019 Chevy Bolt affected by the July 23 recall. There have been 9 2019 Bolts that have caught fire. The 2019 Bolts with batteries made in Korea are significantly impacted. We find the level of risk associated with continuing to use the vehicle to be unacceptable. Fire departments need special training to put out EV battery fires. We have no idea if our small local fire department has this kind of training. The new guidelines are difficult and probably inadequate. Parking in the driveway leaves the car still too close to our house. The fires in other cars have occurred 3-6 hours after charging. Could the car catch fire after being driven in that 6 hour window after charging? Could it catch fire while parked near other cars? What if a child was waiting for a parent in that car? With charging to only 90% and not letting the battery drop below 30%, we are left with far less safely usable range than what we paid for when we bought this expensive vehicle. Too many times this week we have watched the range drop with a level of fear that is just not OK. GM already tried to use software to detect defects, and they admit that it failed. They won’t say how things will be different this time. They also won’t say how the replaced cells will work effectively with the older cells. So even after the remedy is applied, can we trust the integrity of the battery pack? GM has given no timeline for this remedy. We have been told loaners or rental vehicles will be offered by GM, we don’t have it in writing and the dealership we are working with seems unaware of this policy and/or unwilling to part with any of its loaners. And we’ve been told that GM will not reimburse until the loaner or rental period ends, leaving owners to front the cost. What about the owners who can’t do that? GM must replace all battery backs, provide vehicle replacements, or buy back the cars from affected owners.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427303July 31, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
After having the car's software "fixed" in May 2021 according to the previous recall instructions, we are informed that battery fires may occur in 2017-2019 Chevy Bolt EVs with defective battery packs manufactured in S Korea by LG Energy. Based on our VIN, GM informs us that the battery pack in our 2019 BoltEV was made by LG Energy and instructed us to limit charging and keep the battery within a limited charge range. In our living situation we cannot park the car outside as also advised by GM due to the battery fire hazard. Therefore, we now face severe limitations in owning and driving this car. 1. the danger of a car fire originating in the battery, endangering residents and common property in our condo building, including cars parked in neighboring spaces in the building's ground-floor garage, potentially leading to a condo association requirement that we park the car off-site, at considerable expense and inconvenience; 2. greatly reduced battery range: only 110-mile range instead of the advertised 238-mile range, greatly reducing the feasibility of longer-range travel in the car; 3. massively reduced resale value due to these issues, making it financially impossible for us to replace the car on our own; Due to the problems with this vehicle, we cannot drive or charge it as advertised, nor easily replace it. GM should either promptly replace the entire battery pack to entirely eliminate the chance of a battery fire from this defect or buy the vehicle back for a reasonable sum that compensates us for this grave disappointment and allows us to purchase a new BoltEV with minimal cost to us, the innocent consumers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427180July 30, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked in the garage on the charger when the contact heard the vehicle's horn. The contact entered the garage and saw white smoke coming from underneath the rear of the vehicle. The contact was able to unplug the vehicle. The contact’s son called 911. The contact stated that when the fire department arrived at his home the passenger rear on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire department report was filed. The contact was treated for smoke inhalation. Additionally, while the contact’s wife was attempting to exit the residence, she broke three toes and was taken to urgent care the following day. The fire department inspected the vehicle but was unsure if the fire was due to the battery. The insurance company had the vehicle towed from the residence and deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11427199July 30, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign number: 21V560000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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 contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427201July 30, 2021
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 mph, the infotainment screen failed to function as designed. The contact was unable to see charging level of the vehicle. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnosis or repairs. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427202July 30, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have a Chevrolet Bolt EV that was recalled due to risk of battery fires. It took many months of waiting and being unable to charge the car fully, but a fix was issued that scanned the battery and added monitoring software. Two fires have since occurred on 2019s with the fix applied. So now GM has said to follow these guidelines until they can find and fix a separate issue. My car is unusable under the guidance that GM has issued, which includes no charging overnight, no parking inside, no charging to 100% and try not to run below 70 miles of charge. There is no timeline for the repair for the recall and I have no confidence that they will fix the batteries appropriately since they are saying they will replace parts of the batteries rather than whole batteries, but as I understand it, new and old battery parts aren't safe to mix. The car is unusable, unsafe and a fire hazard on my property despite having less than 15k miles on it, but I cannot get GM to give me a loaner or let me park it at a dealership while I wait four or more weeks for a review on a potential buy back case.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427219July 30, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Within the first 20 months of ownership of my vehicle - I became aware of multiple reported fires due to the battery on other similar 2019 Chevy Bolts (and other years) where (like my vehicle) had batteries manufactured in Korea which subsequently found to contain a number of defects which pose a fire risk. For many months and currently I have had harsh limitations placed on how far I am able to drive my vehicle due to requested safety measures GM is requesting (to NOT charge over 90% and to NOT let the vehicle go below 30% - effectively limiting range by 60%). Additionally, we are not able to charge the vehicle overnight and must remove the vehicle from the garage after charging due to fire risk. This is unacceptable! I requested a buyback from GM or MSRP swap but was denied. There is currently NO FIX available and it's unclear to when if this will be fully resolved. I am afraid to use my vehicle as my charger is located in my garage where my sons bedroom is directly above the garage. My vehicle poses a great risk to my families safety.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426938July 29, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There is an open recall on my vehicle, but Chevy NEVER notified me about it. I received an email about the initial recall in November 2020, but found out about this most recent recall ONLY from the Chevy Bolt EV Facebook group I am part of. Searching my VIN on the Chevy website did not yield any results for a couple of weeks (now it says that there is an open recall but no remedy yet), but now searching the VIN and looking at the battery sticker information tells me that I am, indeed, part of this recall and have never heard anything directly from Chevy. Many others in the group reported receiving an email but I have not received any communication. This seems very suspect and very dangerous. I purchased the car used from a dealer but since I received the original Nov 2020 recall information I know that Chevy has my information, they just didn't contact me for some reason.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427010July 29, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
There is not a specific incident with my own vehicle, but my complaint lies with all models, including my own, that have been determined to have a high fire risk, particularly the 2019 year model and manufacturing source of my battery. The recently re-activated recall (NHTSA# 21V560) indicates that GM has again recognized the risk of danger but has failed to address the manufacturing defects within their battery systems in a timely manner. After recognizing a battery fire risk over a year ago, GM's initial recall fix was insufficient to effectively reduce the risk of fire and potential harm to property and people. During the previous recall, GM had recommended a reduction of charge to reduce the risk of fire and during this re-issue of the recall has recommended even more restrictions on the charging levels and logisitics of when and how to charge the battery safely. These recommendations over the life of this extended recall has drastically reduced the function and capabilities of the vehicle as implied by GM when I originally purchased the vehicle. Essentially, the safety of my vehicle and therefore of my property and family is at risk, and despite the recent recall, GM has not moved quickly to address this issue by repairing the vehicle to reduce the risk of fire.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427032July 29, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Since about November of 2020 this vehicle has been under a recall, due to potential fire danger of the batteries. The interim solution was to not charge the battery above 90%. Within the last couple of months a "final" solution was initiated by GM, to solve this potential fire situation. I have had this "final" solution performed on my vehicle by the dealer. Now, we are informed that fires are still happening on these vehicles, even with the final repair. We are now told do not charge overnight un-monitored. Do not let the battery get below 30% or above about 80%. Do not store the vehicle in doors. I now read that GM does not expect any sort of "new" solution until September, or perhaps later. None of this works for us, with our current usage of this vehicle as our main transportation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426820July 28, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My vehicle is under it's second recall for a potential battery fire. This has not happened as of yet but I am submitting this to support action by the NHTSA to improve the fire safety of BEVs It seems to me that these vehicles should be constructed so that they are more resistant to causing a major fire without any obvious indication that there is a problem prior to the fire. I believe that the problem is being minimized due to a rather low percentage of vehicles catching on fire so far. In addition, GM's latest instructions for customers places an undue burden on them to provide their own remedy. GM's instructions have requested customers to take actions they likely do not have the expertise to accomplish. For example, admonishments to park out side do not provide instruction as to what this means. I can park my vehicle outside but then it is adjacent to other vehicles and is still somewhat close to my house. This still seems rather dangerous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426860July 28, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Safety put at risk due to recall where car could suddenly burst into flames. Remedy timeline tbd by Chevy putting myself and family in undue stress.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426903July 28, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was sold a vehicle that is 30 times more likely to catch fire than any gas propelled vehicle (https://allev.info/2021/07/early-chevy-bolts-much-more-likely-to-catch-fire-than-a-gas-car/). To date, GM's solutions have been unacceptable. First, hobbling the car so that it performs at 90% capacity was offered, though I did not agree to purchase 90% of an automobile. Then it was "fixed" and deemed safe, yet more fires have occurred within the supposedly repaired vehicles. GM's current solution is to again limit the battery charge to 90% (owner's responsibility), to not leave the car unattended while charging (it can take many hours to charge, so this is an onerous and ludicrous ask), and, remarkably, they've stated that the vehicle should not be left in or near a structure in case of fire. Shall I just chance burning down the local farmer's field or forest that I'm forced to park it in, then? I've requested a buy back by Chevrolet and was refused. This is a preposterous situation that puts me, my passengers, and others around me in danger.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426417July 26, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Incident hasn't occurred YET. Worried about car and property. Leaving car outside is an invitation for car thieves in our area and we're having major hail storms.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426316July 25, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I have a 2019 Chevy Bolt EV, with a potential for the High Voltage Battery to catch on fire. There was a first recall back in Nov. 2020, Manufacture states that there was a final fix for the High Voltage Battery. I took the vehicle in for the final fix. Recently there was a 2019 Chevy Bolt that caught on fire with the final fix for the recall. Now there’s a second recall for the same issues, now I can NOT park my car inside the garage and not charge it at night, because of a potential for the vehicle to change on fire. I have 2 boys that lives about the garage and I live in a Townhouse. This recall is a safety problems for everyone, it poses a safety risk while the vehicle is charging. The vehicle is a safety hazards to the public and building structures.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11426319July 25, 2021
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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
#11426342July 25, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I currently lease a 2019 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 March. 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 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. This is a serious safety issue. My family, my property and even people I park next to while out in public are at risk. GM must be forced to either replace the entire battery pack in every vehicle affected by this recall or replace them with newer models containing safer batteries. 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 until GM provides a complete, effective solution.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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