The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle struck a deer. The air bags failed to deploy but the steering wheel released a chemical dust accompanied by an abnormal gas odor. Due to the impact, and the seat belt locking, the driver sustained soft tissue abdominal injuries and was treated at a hospital. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center after the issue however, the vehicle needed to be inspected by an insurance adjuster. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Chevrolet Bolt EV no deployment problems
13 of the 992 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Bolt EV describe airbags did not deploy in a crash, most of them for the 2023 model year.
- owner complaints
- 13
- worst model year
- 2023
- typical mileage
- 22,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20234
- 20222
- 20212
- 20202
- 20181
- 20172
Often reported together
What owners say
I was in a car accident on February 9th, in which my airbags did not deploy, however, I did receive an error in my Chevy app that my Air Bag system requires attention. I sustained facial injuries due to impact with the steering wheel. I believe the airbags should have deployed, but did not.
I was was traveling at 68 mph, then rear ended and pushed into the center divide. The entire front drivers tire + assembly was destroyed. The airbags didn't deploy. The cab did fill with a white 'smoke'. A little bit later I received a message from the Chevy app that there was a problem with my airbags and I should seek service. My insurance has deemed the car a total loss and picked up the car and taken it to their lot for inspection. I don't know the status of this and the incident has not been reported to the manufacturer/dealer.
On August 17th, 2025, my wife was driving our 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV at low speed, pulling into a parking spot. The vehicle suddenly accelerated forward with enough force to cause significant damage to a fixed barrier. She does not recall pressing the accelerator at that moment. The degree of acceleration was disproportionate for a brief accidental press. Immediately after impact, smoke or dust was visible rising through the center console area. No airbags deployed, but it appeared similar to smoke from pyrotechnic devices. My wife sustained seatbelt-related bruising across the chest and thighs. The vehicle remains drivable. I have included photos detailing damage to the car and the fixed barrier. We are aware of the GM accessory all-weather floor liner recall (21E-089), but are not certain if our vehicle’s liner was part of that campaign. We are reporting this incident to ensure there is a record in case this reflects unintended acceleration or another defect.
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while in the process of parking the vehicle on the side of a street, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, and the front end of the vehicle crashed into an unoccupied parked vehicle, which crashed into a second occupied vehicle parked in front of it. No property damage was reported. The vehicle came to a stop upon impact. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle did not need to be towed. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was not filed. The first vehicle the contact's vehicle had crashed into was totaled due to front and rear end damages. The occupant of the second vehicle confirmed that the vehicle was not damaged, and there was no injury sustained. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed, but the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer had sent engineers who were in the process of diagnosing the vehicle at the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
Electric pole broken onto the street and hit the car, cause severe damage to the front-left-corner on the Chevy Bolt EV 2023. The airbags did not deploy. Safety of the driver and infant was diminished greatly.
The contact rented a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH the driver depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle did not stop and crashed into the rear of a second vehicle. The contact indicated that during the crash the vehicle was low on electrical charge and was being operated in the "One Pedal" mode and the the air bags did not deploy. The rear passenger seated on the passenger side sustained an injured neck which did not require medical treatment. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was driven away from the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The rental company was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
On 11-17-23 someone rear ended me making me lose control of the vehicle and getting off the road into the woods and eventually hitting a tree, the airbags did not deploy, the car is equipped with OnStar system from Chevrolet as a safety feature in which as soon as there is a collision I supposed to get a call from an advisor so they could call an ambulance and a towing service, it's included in my monthly payment, but that did not happen, no one called me to check on me also the braking system should have prevented me from hitting a tree, the safety system failed
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-60 mph and 30 feet from another vehicle, the brake pedal was applied but traveled to the floorboard. The vehicle failed to stop and crashed into the rear of a Toyota Prius. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be driven from the scene. There were no reported injuries, fire, or police reports filed. The air bags did not deploy. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
While involved in a side impact collision, and significant force, airbags failed to deploy.
Related recalls
Air bags: critical fasteners
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV vehicles. One of the two fasteners that secure the driver's frontal air bag to the steering wheel may be missing or improperly tightened.
- Risk
- An improperly installed air bag may not deploy properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the driver-side air bag fasteners. If the fasteners cannot be tightened properly, the air bag assembly will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 29, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is N212340860.
Recall number 21V517000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Bolt EV no deployment
Which Chevrolet Bolt EV years have airbags did not deploy in a crash problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2023 (4 complaints), 2017 (2 complaints) and 2020 (2 complaints).
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