2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 85 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 48% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 15,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “battery fires” (7% of reports).
- 85electrical system complaints
- 15,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 30%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Battery fires: mentioned in 6 of 85 complaints (7%)
- Charge overnight: mentioned in 5 of 85 complaints (6%)
- Catching fire: mentioned in 5 of 85 complaints (6%)
- High voltage: mentioned in 5 of 85 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 15 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 85 complaints, 9 a fire, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Bolt EV | 2 | 40% | — |
| 2023 Bolt EV | 17 | 28% | — |
| 2022 Bolt EV | 29 | 49% | 6,612 |
| 2021 Bolt EV | 33 | 49% | 5,000 |
| 2020 Bolt EV | 94 | 54% | 35,000 |
| 2019 Bolt EV | 85 | 48% | 15,000 |
| 2018 Bolt EV | 30 | 34% | 12,702 |
| 2017 Bolt EV | 114 | 33% | 23,600 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Water has infiltrated the lower trunk area and fried the sound amplifier. The result is no sounds can be heard from the speakers. This includes sounds and warnings from the safety systems. Seat belt, ADAS, BLIS, OnStar, Turn Signals, Radio. The rear hatch seals seem to be intact and it is unclear…
While driving on the freeway at 65 mph during morning rush-hour, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated without warning and came to a stop. The vehicle was barely able to make it to the shoulder before losing all momentum. There is a high-risk of a fatal collision when a vehicle unexpectedly stops or…
Vehicle without warning stopped moving while making a left turn in an intersection at night. Power to dashboard was on but no propulsion, brakes or steering. Was unable to put car into gear to move forward or in reverse. Message was displayed, "Unable to Initalize Propulsion System" Extremely…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVs have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 85 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV (48% of the 178 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical system?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 15,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
The most frequent phrase is “battery fires”, in 6 of 85 complaints, followed by “charge overnight” (5).
See all 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems or electrical system problems across all Bolt EV years.