Vehicle arrived with windshield chip, transport company provided proof happened before transport. Brake failure on first use after delivery. Reduced-propulsion warning triggered. Both passenger-side door locks failed. Center-console power and data failed (replacements pending). Rear and passenger-side cameras blurry (replacements pending). GM manufacturer buyback vehicle. Safety defect occurred immediately after delivery. Vehicle down more than 50 days. Dealer delayed title paperwork to Tennessee for 44 days and delayed delivering finance contract/payment instructions to buyers for 50 days. GM Financial issued late notices before contract was delivered. Dealer has not responded to reimbursement deadline. Safety and delivery failures created unsafe condition and administrative harm.
2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical problems
30 complaints (34% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 18,000.
- owner complaints
- 30
- of this car's complaints
- 34%
- typical mileage
- 18,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
- Propulsion system: traction battery1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical problems in other years
Related recalls
Electrical system: propulsion system: traction battery
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles previously recalled under the federal safety agency 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.
- 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.
Recall number 21V560000 · Recall details
Electrical system: propulsion system: traction battery
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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.
Recall number 20V701000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
the federal safety agency 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 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, the federal safety agency 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 the federal safety agency 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 the federal safety agency regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP22005
Electric 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 the federal safety agency 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. the federal safety agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at under the following identification numbers:11230072, 11425524, 11339878, 11365622, 11364692, 11427180, 11429891, 11374956, 11407212, 11372429, 11425225, 11415800
PE20016
What 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
HMI module failed. Distraction from road because the display pops on and off. Im not taking in my car because there are forums and forums discussing this issue. Not inspected by anybody either. There were no warnings, it just stopped working 2 weeks ago.
The radio antenna/receiver/reception in my 2018 Chevy Bolt is very poor. There are many areas I receive almost no radio stations, or stations are extremely fuzzy. The reception is getting worse over time. In searching for a solution to this, I have found that there are many accounts, complaints, and forums related to this issue in all model years of this vehicle. The greater community has not found a viable solution outside of buying a separate radio and hooking it up to the auxiliary input. Many others have brought their vehicle to get inspected repaired and told by the dealers that everything is functioning as it should. The quality and operation of this part pales in comparison to all other vehicles and devices I, and others as they describe, have owned. Understanding this is not a "life and death" safety concern, I hope that this issue can be addressed. This is a basic piece of equipment found in all vehicles, and it is important to have access to at minimum public radio in order to receive potential emergency alerts. It seems chevy has done a disservice to their customers in their failure to provide a properly functioning basic component in these vehicles. I hope you can assist the community of Bolt drivers in this headache. Thank you.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that after the dealer performed the recall repair under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V560000 (Electrical System), the new battery charge range allowed for up to 90 miles, whereas the older battery allowed for up to 150 miles before recharging. Additionally, the new battery failed to retain a complete charge, with the "Unable to Charge" message displayed while charging. The contact felt that the recall remedy was not a permanent fix but a temporary repair. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Dealer will not do recall : (The high voltage batteries in these vehicles may pose a risk of fire when charged to full, or very close to full, capacity. General Motors said that the bottom of the battery tray is damaged.
The battery in this vehicle was replaced pursuant to the current recall at the Morehart Murphy dealership in Durango, CO about two(2) months ago. On approximately June 5, 2022, the car began showing a "Propulsion Power Is Reduced" warning, despite the fact that the battery was approximately 3/4 fully charged and showing a range of 248 miles. We made arrangements to take the car into the dealership on June 9, 2022. Once the car was at the dealership, the EV technician reported that the dealership had just received a bulletin from GM about this problem on that same day, that the problem was with the replaced battery, that GM engineers were working on the problem, that the car was not safe to drive, and that the car would have to be left with the dealership until a solution was found. We have heard nothing from the dealership since that time. I called the dealership this morning (June 20, 2022). The dealership advised that GM had not responded to the calls from the dealership and that no solution to the problem has been offered. The dealership suggested that I call GM directly and "raise a stink." I called GM this morning and reported the problem. GM offered no solution other than stating that it would call a "district manager." This identical problem has been reported online by other Bolt owners who have had their batteries replaced pursuant to the recall.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V560000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that the battery power had decreased by 25 percent. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the battery was on back order. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 1. Parts distribution disconnect.
I have tried to schedule service for the High Voltage Battery Recall using a GM recommended service provider in Jefferson City MO named Rusty Drewing Chevrolet. I was turned away after scheduling my service over 1 month prior because they will not service the vehicle stating they are not getting the appropriate tools from GM. I was told that even if I left the vehicle with them for a month they would not be able to service it because GM is not sending them the replacement tools that they need to properly discharge the HV battery. I am now forced to continue operating a potentially dangerous vehicle because I am being refused service to get a recall performed on my vehicle.
In March 2021, I drove my Bolt in very cold weather, and parked the Bolt in my garage with only 7 miles range remaining. I did not plug in the Bolt to charge until 24 hrs later and found out the Bolt would not charge. The Bolt was towed to a local Chevy dealer for service. The dealer found two parts had failed. 1) Drive Motor Battery Coolant Heater, and 2) High Voltage Battery Control Wiring Junction Box. According to the dealer Part 1 was not warrantied, and Part 2 was warrantied. Here's my problem. Part 1 was replaced first but that did not fix the problem. Only after Part 1 was replaced did the dealer find Part 2 had failed. Obviously these two Parts are interdependent. Part 2 caused Part 1 to fail, therefore Part 1 should be covered by Part 2 warranty.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received a notification of the federal safety agency campaign number 21V560000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Questions about the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical
Does the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV have electrical problems?
Owners have filed 30 complaints about the electrical of the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 34% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 18,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical?
Yes, 2 recalls: 21V560000, 20V701000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chevrolet Bolt EV have the most electrical problems?
The Chevrolet Bolt EV model years with the most electrical complaints are 2017 (114 complaints), 2020 (96 complaints) and 2019 (85 complaints).
Other 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems
Steering 38Transmission 12Fuel system 11Brakes 7Engine 5Acceleration 3Suspension 2Visibility 2Airbags 1Lights 1
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