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Chevrolet · NHTSA safety record

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 178 safety complaints about the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV with the US government. Of those, 2 describe a crash, 10 mention a fire, 5 people were injured and no death is recorded. 6 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 85 complaints, 48% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 10,230 miles, the median across the 37 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers November 2018 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

178 complaints on file

178

Complaints

2

Describe a crash

10

Mention fire

5

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints rose by half year on year: 17 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 9 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 85 · 48%
STEERING 46 · 26%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 44 · 25%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 21 · 12%
POWER TRAIN 13 · 7%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 5 · 3%
SERVICE BRAKES 5 · 3%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 4 · 2%
AIR BAGS 3 · 2%
LANE DEPARTURE 3 · 2%
SEAT BELTS 3 · 2%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 2 · 1%
0 35 69

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 178.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2021 at 77.

84 63 42 21
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2018 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2019 Chevrolet BOLT EV, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test 5 HB FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 9.7%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

6 on file

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

23V845000 · December 14, 2023

The defect
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. This recall includes certain vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under NHTSA recall number 22V-930. After a crash with seat belt pretensioner deployment, the pretensioner exhaust may ignite carpet fibers near the B-pillar, causing a fire.
The risk
A fire increases the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect both front seat belt pretensioners and, if necessary, install metal foil at the carpet near the pretensioner exhaust. Certain vehicles will also need a pretensioner cover installed. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2024. These vehicles were previously recalled for this same issue under recall number 22V-930 and will need to have the new remedy performed. Owners may contact GM EV Concierge at 1-833-EVCHEVY (1-833-382-4389) (TTY 711 / 1-800-833-2438) or Customer Service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232421970.

General Motors, LLC · up to 6,771 vehicles across all model years covered

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

22V930000 · December 15, 2022

The defect
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. After a crash with seat belt pretensioner deployment, the pretensioner exhaust may ignite carpet fibers near the B-pillar, causing a fire.
The risk
A vehicle fire can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will install metal foil at the carpet near the pretensioner exhaust, and install a pretensioner cover as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed between January 23, 2023 and April 25, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N222383790.

General Motors, LLC · up to 111,242 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

21V560000 · July 23, 2021

Park outside until repaired

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 20V-701. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.
The risk
A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
The remedy
Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (2019 models) feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, charge their vehicle more frequently, avoid depleting the battery to 70 miles range remaining, park outside after charging, and do not charge the vehicle indoors overnight. Defective battery modules will be replaced by GM, free of charge. Interim notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N212343880.

General Motors, LLC · up to 57,414 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

20V701000 · November 13, 2020

Park outside until repaired

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling all 2017-2018 and certain 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.
The risk
A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
The remedy
This recall has been superseded by recall number 21V-560. Vehicles previously repaired under 20V-701 will still need to have the new remedy under recall 21V-560. GM will notify owners, and as an interim repair, beginning on November 17, 2020, dealers will reprogram the hybrid propulsion control module 2 (HPCM2) to limit the full charge to 90%, free of charge. Owners are advised to activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (2019 models) feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, or park outside, until the software update is completed. Owners were notified of the interim repair beginning November 17, 2020. The second notice was mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N202311730.

General Motors LLC · up to 50,932 vehicles across all model years covered

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

20V184000 · March 26, 2020

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The door-handle cable inside the rear doors may be too long, allowing contact with the window when it is opened, possibly damaging the cable. A damaged cable may cause the rear door to open unintentionally when the rear window is opened. Additionally, it may cause the rear inside door handle to not work.
The risk
If the rear door opens while driving, or the door handle fails to open the rear door, there is an increased risk of injury to the rear passengers.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear inside door-handle cables, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A202298320.

General Motors LLC · up to 897 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

18V576000 · August 30, 2018

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
The risk
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.

General Motors LLC · up to 210,628 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations

2 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Pedestrian alert sounds

DP22005

Closed defect petition · opened January 27, 2023 · closed August 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000

the electrical system

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

Electric Vehicle Battery Fires

PE20016

Closed preliminary evaluation · opened October 9, 2020 · closed February 7, 2022 · led to recall 20V701000

the electrical system

In October 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE) on 2017-2020 Model Year (MY) Chevrolet Bolt vehicles based on complaints received alleging that the vehicles caught fire under the seating area while parked and unattended. At the time, ODI had received 2 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and several field reports. All complaints alleged vehicles caught fire during or after electrical charging.ODI's review found vehicle thermal events occurred during and/or at the end of the battery module charging cycle. The information learned from NHTSA and General Motors joint vehicle inspections prompted General Motors to file Recall 20V-701 on April 29, 2021. The remedy for this recall included 1) performing diagnostic procedures to identify and replace potentially defective battery cell-module assemblies and 2) installing onboard diagnostic software, designed to detect and warn owners regarding potential issues related to changes in battery module performance over time. Until this interim remedy became available for all affected vehicles, General Motors instructed their customers to enable ?Hilltop Reserve or ?Target Charge Level, based on the vehicle-equipped technology. Enabling these technologies would limit charging capacity of the battery module to a maximum of 90 percent. General Motors then continued to investigate the root cause of these battery cell module thermal events, which would lead them to their long-term recall remedy solution. Utilizing the information obtained from the Recall 20V-701 software update, General Motors and LG Energy Solutions,the supplier of the battery cell module pack along with LG Electronics,determined the root cause of the thermal events to be the result of two simultaneous manufacturing defects occurring in the same battery cell. The defect condition appears to be aggravated by routinely charging the battery to a full or nearly full state of charge after it has been substantially depleted. The two defects, located within the same battery cell module, would cause an internal short within the battery pack, resulting in the thermal events. The manufacturing process was changed to prevent the occurrence of these two defect conditions.On July 24, 2021, General Motors filed a defect information report recalling all 2017-2018 Chevrolet Bolt and certain 2019 Chevrolet Bolt vehicles with design level N2.1 battery cell produced at the LG Ochang, Korea plant. This remedy replaces defective battery cell-modules and will prevent potential thermal events from occurring during and/or at the end of the charge cycle. The recall (21V-560) includes vehicles that were remedied under 20V-701.General Motors continued to review new data after Recall 21V-560 and learned of an incident that occurred outside of the scope of the recall population. Additional analysis led General Motors and LGES to determine that the manufacturing defects defined by Recall 21V-560 were not isolated to one battery manufacturing plant. On August 21, 2021, General Motors filed a defect information report to expand the scope of recall 21V-560. The recall (21V-650) includes all 2019-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV vehicles. In view of the recall actions being taken by General Motors, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at nhtsa.gov under the following identification numbers:11230072, 11425524, 11339878, 11365622, 11364692, 11427180, 11429891, 11374956, 11407212, 11372429, 11425225, 11415800

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

3 injured · crash · towed · 275 miles

I EXPERIENCED EXTREME WINDSHIELD GLARE WHILE DRIVING MY NEW CHEVY BOLT AT MIDDAY ON A VERY SUNNY DAY. THE GLARE WAS MANAGEABLE AT FIRST, AS I APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. AS I ENTERED THE INTERSECTION, THE WINDSHIELD SEEMED TO TURN WHITE. I LOST MY VIEW OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND WAS HIT BY AN SUV. THIS WAS THE FIRST REALLY SUNNY DAY AFTER I TOOK POSSESSION OF THE BOLT. PRIOR TO THAT DAY, THE WEATHER HAD BEEN PARTLY/MOSTLY CLOUDY. I HAVE DRIVEN THROUGH THIS INTERSECTION MANY TIMES BEFORE UNDER VARIOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS IN MY OLD ACURA TSX WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS AMOUNT OF GLARE ON A WINDSHIELD AT THIS TIME OF DAY BEFORE.

NHTSA complaint 11230428. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

2 injured · fire · towed · 27,000 miles

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

NHTSA complaint 11427180, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 15,000 miles

MY 2019 CHEVY BOLT WAS FULLY CHARGED AND DRIVEN FOR 12 MILES TO OUR DESTINATION, A TOWNHOUSE DEVELOPMENT WITH PRIVATE OUTDOOR OPEN PARKING. WE ARRIVED AROUND 7:30PM, PARKED IT AND TURNED IT OFF. 20 MINS LATER A NEIGHBOR RANG OUR DOORBELL BECAUSE THERE WAS 20 FOOT HIGH HEAVY WHITE/GRAY SMOKE CLOUD COMING OUT THE BACK OF THE CAR. I CALLED 911 AND FIREFIGHTERS DOUSED THE CAR WITH WATER FOR AN HOUR AFTER SMASHING THE REAR WINDOW TO GET ACCESS TO THE SMOKING AREA.THEY LEFT, LESS THAN AN HOUR LATER I CALLED 911 AGAIN B/C THE SMOKE RESTARTED. SMOLDERING WAS SO HOT IT PARTLY BURNED THE BACKSEAT. ONCE THE CAR WAS COOL ENOUGH IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED. THERE IT

NHTSA complaint 11339878, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 30,000 miles

CHEVY BOLT FINISHED CHANGING AND THEN STARTED TO SMOKE FROM UNDER THE CAR. THE SOUND OF POPPING NOISES WERE HEARD AND THEN 10 MINUTES LATER THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE CARS BATTERY PACK STARTING POPPING THEN EXPLODED IN FLAMES.

NHTSA complaint 11364692. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
I am reporting a recurring safety defect with our 2019 Chevrolet Bolt (~80,000 miles). On multiple occasions the left front wheel has overheated severely while driving, accompanied by a rapid, severe side-to-side steering wheel wobble and a burning smell. On XXX after ~35 miles of driving (10+ miles at 50-63 mph), the steering wheel began shaking. We had to pull over and drive slowly along the shoulder, stopping twice to let the wheel cool. The left front wheel measured 627.9°F, while other wheels were under 200°F. On XXX, only three days after replacing the front brake pads and rotors, the left front wheel again overheated to 355°F (other wheels 116-139°F), with a burning smell. The

NHTSA complaint 11765956, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
The steering wheel on my 2019 Chevy bolt is feeling stiff and harder to turn when making a right and left turn.

NHTSA complaint 11765648. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
A rear passenger side door handle/latch stopped working. The door cannot be opened from the inside, only from the outside. It’s a safety issue and it has affected other 2019-2020 Bolts which resulted in their recall. Why not this one?

NHTSA complaint 11765061. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
Steering wheel does not return to center on turns when driving at low speeds.

NHTSA complaint 11749605. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
Steering wheel does not return to center after making a turn. Over time the steering rack fails leading to a steering wheel that will not return to center even when force is applied to wheel. The dealership is charging $3-4k to fix this safety issue.

NHTSA complaint 11743944. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
when driving my car from the airport at Bradley International in CT (parked for a week), I experienced a terrible vibration in the steering wheel which has been intermittent. The vibration went away at lower speeds. I brought the car in to the shop on 5/18/2026 with 74,000 miles on the car. They told me I had to replace rotors, brakes, calipers, brake fluid, and do a front end alignment because the rotors have failed internally. The EV doe not use braking as frequently and this was taken from the Chevy forum: ISSUE: Frozen or Seized Calipers The Issue: Because Bolt drivers heavily rely on regenerative braking, the physical brake pads and calipers are used far less frequently than in

NHTSA complaint 11738509, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Chevrolet Bolt EV

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2027 5 1 —
2023 60 3 —
2022 59 7 —
2021 67 5 —
2020 174 8 —
2018 89 5 —
2017 348 4 —

Other 2019 Chevrolet models

Silverado 1500 1,085 Traverse 407 Equinox 302 Malibu 191 Blazer 186 Colorado 150 Corvette 148 Trax 134

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Chevrolet on this site — 304 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst