GM has been jerking myself, and all Bolt owners all of this year and For myself and other owners of 2017-early 2019 models. They have overlaid Recalls on the 2017-2019 to reset apparent recall start dates. We have been dealing with being under the umbrella of a one battery fire recall or another since November of 2020, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. My Bolt was in a chevy shop for TWO MONTHS June/July 2021 time frame for the first recall because it took them that long to get a single battery module. Now they have issued yet another recall. I am one of over 100,000 owners that are tired of being told, "baby your batteries to 'reduce' the risk of fire". Being told to limit the effective battery range to over 60% of what it is supposed to are capable of is not acceptable. GM is playing 'lawyer' and making it nearly impossible to get a real solution. Do your job, kick GM in the rear. At this point GM just needs to pony up and buyback the whole model run. I'm tired of parking my car in the back 40.
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV fuel system complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 70, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I stopped for a DC fast charge at an Electrify America station to ensure that my vehicle's battery level would stay over "70 miles of charge" to reduce fire risk (per GM recommendation). The vehicle has been programmed to remain at or below a 90% charge limit. After charging for 25 minutes, I unplugged the CCS1 connector from the Bolt by pressing the connector release button and pulling gently. To my surprise, the connector unlatched and disconnected immediately while charging at roughly 35,000 watts (>80 amps, 400 volts) and both the connector and my car's charging port began emitting a strong sulfur odor. The connector is supposed to have a high-voltage safety interlock that prevents either side from being moved while current is flowing. I have seen this interlock technology on many different chargers (CCS, CHAdeMO, Tesla) and have never seen it fail. After the incident, I inspected and photographed the charging port and charging station connector and found both sides seriously burned, melted and damaged. The connectors suffered oxidation, discoloration, and other metallic contamination/damage. The vehicle's inlet port contacts are blue/orange/black, not silver, and sections of metal appear to be melted away. The charger side connector contacts are discolored and have similar erosive/melting damage. The damage appears to be identical to arc flash plasma erosion. Prior to this incident, I regularly inspected the DC fast charge port and found it to be in good condition with a functioning seal, orange cover flap, clean silver pins and no damage. Before plugging in, I had inspected the charge station connector and could not see anything wrong with it. The charge connector serial number was entirely worn off. At this point, I do not feel comfortable fast charging my Bolt EV out of concern that the inlet port may overheat and catch fire. The inlet port needs to be replaced and the charging station connector needs to be replaced (and the interlock issue resolved).
The check engine light came on in my vehicle and limited the speed at which I could drive resulting in the car dealership is refusing to honor the warranty on my vehicle. The manual and all information from General Motors explicitly states the components which are covered under warranty. There is a the federal safety agency service bulletin regarding this exact problem (the federal safety agency 18-NA-064) along with the labor code for doing repairs under warranty. The warranty is for the first 100,000 miles or 8 years (2025), my vehicle currently has 49906 miles. The reason I was given is that software is not usually covered under warranty but there is no documentation stating that is the case. I was told that this vehicle may have this problem just due to operating it and there is no recourse for me other than to pay to have it fixed. If this is true the vehicle is unsafe to be driven in traffic.
Since the November, 2020 recall of the Chevy Bolt for its battery defects, I have had only limited use of the vehicle and it remains a fire threat whether parked inside a garage or outside. The recommended restrictions of charging and parking by General Motors do nothing to fix the fire threat, and put an undue burden on me without any expectation of a timely repair. GM has acknowledged that they do not currently have repair parts (new battery modules), and due to the volume of units necessary (140,000 recalled vehicles), and the likely pace of production and repairs once they actually begin producing new battery modules, it will take at least 2 years for the process to be completed. Added to the 10 months already passed since the first recall, this means a potential total wait period approaching 3 years. This is wholly unacceptable and a vehicle buyback to make owners whole for their losses is the only acceptable course of action.
Propulsion battery catches on fire while parked.
I have received 3 recalls on the vin number referenced above. I have been to the dealer 2 times to and thought the problem was fixed. I get another recall and find the dealer unable to fix due to unavailability of parts. I am unable to schedule a recall fix as (all dealers contacted) say I can't schedule until they have parts. I am in a continuing cycle of incompetence. It appears there is no way for me to address this latest August 21 recall from General Motors. The latest recall is to replace the battery nodules in my 2012 Chevrolet Bolt. In my 2 previous cases for a interim software fix. It continues to show as an incomplete status
I have a 2017 Bolt that is affected by the Bolt battery fire recall. I have patiently awaited for a real fix for this issue since November of 2017. I have lived in fear of this car burning up or my house burning up from this vehicle for 8 months. I need this vehicle it is my daily transportation. I paid more than $46,000 for this vehicle (including tax and registration). Now, Chevy has said I can't charge at night, I can't charge in my garage, and I can't use more than 60% (143 miles), they don't know the root cause of the fires, they don't have a fix, and they have not committed to changing our batteries. After all this, this car is unusable to me and I can't trust Chevy to detect the defect and apply a meaningful fix. I have applied for a buyback and was denied in June. I live in MN, where I am unaware of anyone that has had a successful buyback. I can't understand how GM is allowed to have a buyback policy where one state (CA) has hundreds of buybacks where another has none. When this is truly a serious safety problem that they do not know the fix. I need help getting a successful buyback for my vehicle.
I'm concerned about the recent battery related fires post-recall for 2017-19 models. I'm not pleased with GMs response.
I am extremely concerned about the battery fire recall for my 2017 Chevy bolt. I live in a townhome, with the garage on the first floor. The only place I can charge the car and park is in the garage on the first floor. And the only way to escape the building is by walking past the garage. So, the risk of a major car fire in the garage is very life threatening to me and my family! I am disappointed about how Chevy has handled this defect. I realize mistakes happen, but I think chevy could have taken more steps to ensure the safety of their customers, and not leave them with a broken car that has lost value due to the perception that it is unsafe. Chevy originally identified this defect Nov. of 2020. They shipped a temporary fix, limiting the range to 90%, decreasing the utility of the car, and didn't ship a "real" fix until around June 2021. We have learned that both the temporary and "real" fix were not effective, and cars have caught on fire with both fixes. Now we are told we won't even be informed about the next "fix" until September! A few things aggravate me: * This is getting to be almost a full years time since a known defect appeared before an effective fix was provided. Unsafe cars have been driving around for about a year! * Chevy has not informed owners the root cause of the issue beyond "a manufacturing defect". How are we supposed to have confidence that the next "fix" actually fixes the problem? We deserve to know what the problem was, and be given proof that the recall actually addresses it. * On the new recommendations, the car now has 50% the range and can't be charged inside. This makes it unusable for many, including me. Why isn't chevy explicitly providing help to their customers, such as rentals, buybacks, etc? How is it legal to cripple my car with no compensation? My perception is that chevy is drawing out this recall so they can to save money, and leaving its customers with a broken car and taking on risks to their safety.
My high voltage battery is likely to catch fire some time after charging the vehicle. Chevy has told me not to use my full battery as they advertised and I cannot park my vehicle in my garage. This is unacceptable and I am not able to use the car as originally advertised.
Appreciate that GM is replacing the battery modules. But we waited MONTHS for the first fix, which did not work, and now must wait another 6 months-1 year for replacement battery modules. Meanwhile, the car does not function as advertised -- we cannot charge overnight (as we usually did; we have 3 EVs, so charging time requires some coordination), we cannot deplete the battery (preventing long trips), and the range is limited. GM refused our repurchase request. Car is essentially worthless on the secondary market until the fix, so we cannot sell and replace. This is very frustrating.
The batteries are known to catch fire about 90% state of charge and below 30% state of charge.
After getting the software update from previous recall, on Siemens Chargers, the car and charger error. The car error says "Charging Interrupted or Overridden". Took to Chevy service 7/26/21, they could not find anything wrong, and wanted to charge $225 for troubleshooting. They were not aware of the new recall, when made aware they agreed not to charge the $225, but stated I should not use the chargers at work. If I am not supposed to charge overnight, and am unable to charge at work, the car is unusable.
The vehicle battery has an open recall due to risk of the battery spontaneously combusting based on several recent fires with this vehicle model. I own two of these vehicles as our only car and GM has not given any remedy and have been very difficult to work with. I am simply asking for a timeline for a fix and they have now become unresponsive to my open case. They refuse to buy back or fix my vehicle and because there is a second open recall for the same problem, they now have no timeline and are in no urgent rush to resolve the issue. I am forced to use these vehicles with this major safety risk constantly hanging over my head and no fix in site.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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
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.
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”. 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. This is a serious safety issue. 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.
Manufacturer (GM) 2 days ago recommended to not charge the car unattended and at night. This makes it impossible to use vehicle. This is an electric car, the whole point of it is to charge it at night.
Bolt EV range is advertised as 248 miles. Due to GM’s current limitations due to risk of battery fire, the vehicle has a 30% less range. Not only is this inconvenient, but there is no time estimate given for the current fix. Till then the vehicle remains a dangerous fire hazard which could burn the vehicle, occupant and surrounding buildings. GM has not given out any sort of over the air update in order to ensure that the battery charging guidelines given by them are followed. GM has also established a history now of refusing buybacks to those with affected vehicles. They are responsible for removing these vehicles off the road and providing loaner ones till the fix can be applied. They were not prompt in a final fix to the multiple vehicle fires that have occurred. In addition to being a fire hazard, it also posed an environmental risk as the lithium battery could put off very toxic gases should it catch fire. My vehicle has received both previous recalls, yet is still posing a serious danger. The battery fire hazard has no warning, except for when it is happening.
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).
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.
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.
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.
2017-2019 model year Chevrolet Bolt EVs were recalled in November 2020 for battery fires (the federal safety agency 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, the federal safety agency 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 the federal safety agency to force GM's hand: replace the entire battery pack, or buy back the vehicles.
There have been more vehicle fires after the safety recall "fix". General Motors has not said anything yet, and I am afraid to use my car or leave it near anything because of fire risk. This is a great safety concern for myself and others around me. I would like GM to say something.
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