Chevrolet Bolt EV Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 404 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the Chevrolet Bolt EV across 8 model years. The 2017 model year has the most (114). The words owners use most often: “electrical contacted” (6% of reports).
- 404electrical system complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 6related recalls
- 36%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.
- Electrical contacted: mentioned in 24 of 404 complaints (6%)
- High voltage: mentioned in 24 of 404 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 68 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 404 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 19 a fire, 2 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 (6)
Electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery thermal:management:softwarePark outside
Model years: 2020, 2021, 2022
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Bolt EUV vehicles previously repaired under Recall 21V-650. The installation of advanced diagnostic software may have failed. As such, 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: Set the Target Charge Level 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. Dealers will reinstall advanced diagnostic software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 3, 2024. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N242470160.
Electrical system:propulsion system:traction batteryPark outside
Model years: 2020, 2021, 2022
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV vehicles that were previously remedied under recall number 21V-650. The advanced diagnostic software may have been incorrectly installed and fail to detect defective battery modules, possibly resulting in a battery fire.
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Set the Target Charge Level 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. Dealers will reinstall the advanced diagnostic software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 1, 2024. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's numbers for this recall are N242443000 and N242443002.
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel; air bags:frontal
Model years: 2022, 2023
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The instrument panel may be missing the perforation on the underside of the panel cover that allows the passenger-side air bag to deploy properly.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy properly in a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the instrument panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 21, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232414710.
Electrical system:propulsion system:traction batteryPark outside
Model years: 2020, 2021, 2022
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV 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: Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Set the Target Charge Level 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. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 1, 2021 and June 23, 2023. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall 21V-560. GM's number for this recall is N212345940.
Electrical system:propulsion system:traction batteryPark outside
Model years: 2017, 2018, 2019
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
Model years: 2017, 2018, 2019
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.
Camera(s) stopped working altogether after intermittent issues. The vehicle has no functioning backup camera.
2027 CHEVROLET BOLT â SUDDEN FORWARD LURCH / PROPULSION EVENT WITH MULTIPLE COMMUNICATION FAULT CODES While driving my new 2027 Chevrolet Bolt, I was stopped at a traffic light. When the light changed, I applied the accelerator gently to move forward. The vehicle suddenly produced a loud bang or…
The vehicle suffers from severe, unresolvable electrical failures causing recurring loss of propulsion, shifting lockouts ("No Driving Conditions" / stuck in Park), complete exterior lighting failures, and loss of communication with the Restraints Control Module (RCM) and airbag impact sensors. The…
The main infotainment screen provides the critical safety rear view display screen for the rear view camera. This is a legally required function for this vehicle, a 2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS. The failure of the screen means that a clear view towards the back of the vehicle is unavailable. Reversing…
Vehicle infotainment system on 2023 Chevrolet Bolt completely stopped functioning in May of May of 2026. Screen/radio/bluetooth and associated components had no functionality, including backup camera, safety warning features, etc. Dealership confirmed that the system needed replacement entirely and…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Bolt EVs have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 404 owner complaints about electrical system for the Chevrolet Bolt EV. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical system?
Yes: 6 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the Chevrolet Bolt EV?
The most frequent phrase is “electrical contacted”, in 24 of 404 complaints, followed by “high voltage” (24).
Other Chevrolet Bolt EV problems
- Steering problems (261)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (189)
See all Chevrolet Bolt EV problems.