The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has 4 safety recalls and 350 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is steering (125 complaints).
Recalls4safety recalls
Complaints350filed by owners
Crashes · fires11 · 5reported in complaints
Injuries · deaths5 · 0reported in complaints
2 recalls for this model year carries an NHTSA park outside advisory. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Safety recalls
Seat belts › Pretensioner
NHTSA recall 23V845000 · Dec 14, 2023 · 6,771 vehicles
Problem: 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.
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Components: Seat belts › Pretensioner; Structure › Body › Roof and pillars
Seat belts › Pretensioner
NHTSA recall 22V930000 · Dec 15, 2022 · 111,242 vehicles
Problem: 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.
Risk: A vehicle fire can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Components: Seat belts › Pretensioner; Structure › Body › Roof and pillars
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery
NHTSA recall 21V560000 · Jul 23, 2021 · 57,414 vehicles · opened after NHTSA action (ODI)
NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from buildings until repaired (fire risk).
Problem: 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.
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery
NHTSA recall 20V701000 · Nov 13, 2020 · 50,932 vehicles · opened after NHTSA action (ODI)
NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from buildings until repaired (fire risk).
Problem: 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.
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Range & efficiency
Bolt EV EV
238mi range
Efficiency
28.3 kWh/100 mi
MPGe city / hwy / comb
128 / 110 / 119
Charge time (240 V)
9.3 h
Automatic (A1) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $650/year to charge
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
Problem area
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Typical mileage*
Steering
125
1
0
0
41,750 mi
Electrical system 12v/24v/48v battery; Propulsion system › Traction battery
114
3
4
0
23,600 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
70
2
1
1
16,069 mi
Unknown or other
34
0
0
0
24,000 mi
Power train
27
1
0
1
22,200 mi
Service brakes
22
3
0
1
21,000 mi
Engine
16
3
0
1
22,500 mi
Visibility/wiper
12
0
0
0
5,000 mi
Vehicle speed control
11
3
0
2
40,292 mi
Suspension
8
0
0
0
—
Lane departure Blind spot detection; Assist
6
0
0
0
—
Seats
5
0
1
1
225 mi
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
Oct 23, 2026Suspension I was driving on a smooth road when I felt a mild bump and started smelling smoke and saw smoke trailing from behind the car. I immediately pulled into a parking lot and saw that the rear driver side wheel was at an extreme odd angle relative to the car. A suspension beam under the rear of the car was fractured. It was very significant but at the time I couldn't tell if the beam was completely broken but the fracture is very apparent.
Oct 12, 2026Steering The steering (rack and pinion) is dangerous. My previous 2019 bolt with 43000 miles handled great and this one (17 with 36xxx) I have to keep both hands on the wheel at all times because it pulls after a turn and the wheel doesnât find center so I am constantly sawing at the steering wheel. At highway speeds this could become dangerous and cause an accident from an overcorrection. Steering has become stiff and almost like I have a bad alignment but it could go in either direction. I already had a near miss at highway speeds due to the steering not being as responsive as I know it should be. I feel like the vehicle could lose control if I am a fraction of a second late in my steering.…
Sep 7, 2026Steering The steering rack is binding and has malfunctioned. The steering wheel does not return to center after turning and vibrates or wobbles while driving, which may impair steering control and makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. The problem was diagnosed and confirmed by a certified automotive repair shop. No warning lights or messages appeared. The only prior symptom was progressively worsening steering-wheel operation over time.
Sep 25, 2026Unknown or other I have this exact issue with my car, this is service Bulletin No.: 21-NA-064 published on the NHTSA web site. The dealership wants to charge me hundreds of dollars to fix this problem, it is a software problem. This impacts safety as this heater is also necessary to safely defrost the windows. I have called GM and they are telling me they will not repair the software defect for free. This creates incentive for the car manufacturer to create bad software that will need updates. It's an easy fix, but they prevent the customer from being able to do this simple software fix which any reasonable computer person could do if they didn't have this locked down. 114401456 is the complaint I filed…
Aug 21, 2026Steering I am reporting a potential steering system safety defect involving my 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The problem began at approximately 22,800 miles. The steering wheel developed a grinding noise, a noticeable catching/binding sensation when turned, and would not return to center normally after a turn. The condition could be felt even while the vehicle was stationary and not running by turning the steering wheel back and forth. While driving, I could feel the steering pull and catch when turning left or right. The problem gradually became worse over about two months. There were no warning lights or dashboard messages. I first tried to have the vehicle inspected by a Chevrolet dealership, but that…
Mar 5, 2026Steering The steering rack on the Chevrolet Bolt EV does not return to center on turns. Over the course of the past 25k miles, my particular model has slowly began to lock up on deep turns. This occurs on sharp rights, lefts, and on both on and off ramps - especially the ones that loop around. The steering rack gets stuck on sharper turns and continuous turns, requiring force to return back to center or to get out of the turn. With hands off the wheel, the vehicle maintains its turn radius and without driver input, would inevitably turn into a barrier, object, or even another vehicle. Issues began around the 80k mark, possibly sooner, and dealer did not fully disclose this occurrence. The steering…
Jul 20, 2026Unknown or other Without any warning, the INFO-TAINMENT COMPUTER SYSTEM on the dashboard (BOLT EV) fails to come on, sometimes lasting up to 5 minutes. This has happened intermittently for the last 8 years and can be problematic. When the computer info-tainment is not on, I cannot control anything on the dashboard. For example: I have no back up camera and cannot see when I back up from my garage. I cannot control the heating/cooling system/ audio/ defroster(which can be dangerous because I cannot see through my front/back windsheild). The system reboots itself afer approx. 5 mins, but in the meantme, driving can be dangerous.
Aug 15, 2026Steering COMPONENT: Electric power steering (EPS) steering gear / rack and pinion assembly. WHAT HAPPENED: The steering gear binds internally. After a turn the wheel does not return to center and must be forced back to straight; steering feel is stiff and clunky. On at least one occasion the wheel felt stuck in place partway through a turn and I had to fight it to finish the maneuver. I nearly lost control of the vehicle. Exact date, location and speed of that incident: UNKNOWN. The condition is chronic and has worsened over time. I own two Bolt EVs (2017's); both have this defect and I am filing a separate complaint for each. Mileage on this vehicle: approx 96,000 but it's been bad since 80,000 (at…
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.
NHTSA defect investigations
DP22005 · opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000Pedestrian alert sounds 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…
PE20016 · opened Oct 9, 2020 · closed Feb 7, 2022 · led to recall 20V701000Electric Vehicle Battery Fires 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,…