2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Bolt EV years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 8 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 89 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV. That ranks 4th out of 8 Bolt EV model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (38 complaints, 43%), typically at around 42,987 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 fire, 2 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 89owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 38 | 43% | 42,987 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 30 | 34% | 12,702 | — | — |
| Power Train | 12 | 13% | 16,523 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 11 | 12% | 4,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 9% | 16,045 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 8% | 14,750 | — | — |
| Engine | 5 | 6% | 22,458 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 3% | 10,750 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 2% | 21,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 1% | 22,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 20,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:pretensioner; structure:body:roof and pillars
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.
Seat belts:pretensioner; structure:body:roof and pillars
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.
Electrical system:propulsion system:traction batteryPark outside
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 batteryPark outside
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper
Problem: 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.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Electrical arcing and thermal events, potentially leading to fires, while utilizing Enel X Way USA, LLC's JuiceBox residential charger. (PE24028) — opened Oct 3, 2024, closed Jun 5, 2025.
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
- Electric Vehicle Battery Fires (PE20016) — opened Oct 9, 2020, closed Feb 7, 2022, led to recall 20V701000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Steering has resistance and will not to return to center/neutral position without driver manipulation. I've never experienced this probelm with another car and See many other Chevrolet Bolt owners have experienced the same problem. IT definitely seems to be a design and /or assembly flaw. Local GM…
Power steering assist cut out while driving and traction controllight came on. There is now no steering assist. The car is with the dealer shop and their diagnostics indicate the the steering column needs to be replaced. Dealer shop now says the steering column is on EXTREME backorder with no time…
When driving at parking lot speeds, I hear a clunk sound and I feel some vibration in the steering column. This is not observed at higher speeds. Also, the steering intermittently becomes stiff and at other times is loose.
Steering randomly will fail to return to center in turns, causing the driver to have to manually turn wheel back to center. Happens in both sharp and sweeping turns in both the left and right direction while accelerating, decelerating, and maintaining speed. Issue occurs several times a week. I…
Steering clunks during low speed maneuvers, shimmy started while rounding a curve at highway speed on uneven pavement. Local garage has identified it as a broken steering gear. Car has only 36000 miles.
Other Chevrolet Bolt EV years
← 2017 Bolt EV · 2019 Bolt EV →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Bolt EV | 5 | 1 |
| 2023 Bolt EV | 61 | 3 |
| 2022 Bolt EV | 59 | 7 |
| 2021 Bolt EV | 67 | 5 |
| 2020 Bolt EV | 174 | 8 |
| 2019 Bolt EV | 178 | 6 |
| 2018 | 89 | 5 |
| 2017 Bolt EV | 349 | 4 |
See all Chevrolet Bolt EV problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
Owners most often report steering, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 38 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Bolt EV model years, the 2018 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.