2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV Electrical System Problems

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.

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 NHTSA 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.

Mileage: 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 NHTSA 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.

Mileage: 1

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 NHTSA 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.

2018 CHEVROLET BOLT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ENGINE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE DEALER ADVISED THE BATTERY HAD A BAD CELL AND A PROGRAM ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT OPERATIONAL AND IT WAS UNKNOWN WHEN A FIX WOULD BECOME UNAVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED A REQUESTED A LOANER VEHICLE.

Parking like this is not practical and GM needs to expedite this buyback: https://insideevs.com/news/533584/chevrolet-bolt-ownership-becoming-impossible/ https://www.kbb.com/car-news/gm-tells-some-chevy-bolt-owners-park-50-ft-from-other-cars/ https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/15/gm-advising-some-bolt-ev-owners-to-park-50-feet-away-from-other-cars.html

The contact leased a 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V560000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and informed the contact about a buyback program. The contact stated that the manufacturer was unable to provide a solution. The contact had not experienced a failure. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.

I received a recall notice for my 2018 Chevy Bolt and my complaint is in reference to that. It is not a new issue. The remedy suggested by the recall notice is completely unrealistic. To use the car, I have to charge it overnight when I am sleeping. As is the case with almost every other Bolt owner, my charging station is in the garage. So it's unrealistic to (1) avoid depleting below 70 MPH range, (2) park my vehicle outside immediately after charging, and (3) avoid charging the car in my garage overnight. I just want to make sure GM does not escape liability if there is a problem and I did not follow these unrealistic guidelines

Battery fire hazard not resolved. Recommendation from GM to not charge above 90% and not discharge below about 40%, giving an effective range of half of the stated range. Risk that I may need to go below the 40% charge state when travelling, causing fire. I need to charge in my attached garage, posing safety risk to me and family.

GM is aware of a defect that may cause my vehicle to catch fire. They have advised me to park outside so in case it catches fire, the fire is less likely to injure or kill anyone. But, uh, I would like my vehicle to not catch fire actually.

The battery system has a defect that GM admits could lead to a fire. Since November 2020, they advised me to not charge the car above 90% of capacity. They now are also advising not to discharge below 30%, to not charge overnight, and to park outside once charged. One car fire involved a vehicle that regularly only charged to 75%, so, to be safe, I won't charge to more than 70%. That leaves me with only 40% of my battery (24% in winter). My system in my garage only has power during overnight hours, so no charging overnight means I can't charge my car. GM has a final remedy that involves analyzing the battery for defective modules and installing advanced diagnostic software to detect performance issues before they cause a problem. The huge problem with that remedy is that there have been two fires in cars that had their batteries analyzed and had the diagnostic software installed. That means their system for detecting and preventing fires DOES NOT WORK. In the final remedy, GM will only replace modules that they find are defective. After the remedy work is done, GM says customers can charge their vehicles to 100% with full confidence. If their detection system is faulty, as evidenced by subsequent fires, how can anyone confidently go to sleep at night and charge to 100%? Their detection system relies on software to detect issues. My vehicle has had software problems that include charging to full when only programmed to charge for 2 hours, infotainment system fails to initiate, vehicle fails to recognize key fob, cruise control fails to initiate, touch screen won't respond which prevents operation of all systems controlled through the screen. I have no confidence that GM can detect the known battery defect in modules with 100% certainty. Anything less than 100% means I can't charge my car in my garage and still sleep at night. Also, GM has no idea when final remedy will be ready, and I shouldn't have to live with 40% of my battery for an unknown time.

My vehicle is being affected by 2 recalls for a battery that might melt or burn. The vehicle is also experiencing issues with the infotainment system that is malfunctioning/restarting/shutting down while driving. This is extremely distracting and dangerous and causes the vehicle speed area to fade out as the system restarts. Our family is severely limited by the charge limit, minimum miles, or by having to park it outside and not charge it overnight. We live in an fire brush area and are very stressed about having the vehicle potentially catch on fire and burn down our neighborhood. I tried to trade in the vehicle so that we could move on and they won't accept the car with an open warranty recall. The carfax information literally states that the remedy is NOT YET AVAILABLE. How can we move on and what do we do with our original investment of over $48k? I have taken the vehicle into the dealership to have the software update installed twice and still don't know if it has been done or whether the cars battery has been tested and the numbers are within the acceptable parameters. The infotainment system still does not work properly and I am worried that the vehicle is malfunctioning. My wife has now issued the ultimate - I cannot park the car or charge the car at our home. She is stressed beyond belief and I will have to leave the car at the local dealership to charge it and wait for whatever remedy they come up with whenever it might happen.

The incident is that my car just had a second recall about the exact same problem about the battery and to keep my car to erupt on fire I won't be able to use it as intended. I purchased this car because of its range and now I can't get that range if I can only charge it up to 90% and cannot let go below 30%. That is unacceptable.

“I own a 2018 Chevrolet Bolt which is part of the recall announced by GM. This is the second recall in less than a year for the same battery-related issue. It was supposed to have been fixed with a software update that I had completed in June. This software was supposed to identify defective batteries but it has not been successful as evidenced by the mounting number of fires that have happened after the “fix”. As such, we are now under a recall a second time. As a result of their own manufacturing issue, we are now limited to how we charge our vehicles, where we park and even the mileage range that we paid for, while GM attempts another fix. GM stated today that they will again be using software to identify defective cells in our batteries and only the ones that are determined to be defective will have those cells or battery packs replaced. As you can imagine, I no longer trust GM to be able to successfully identify whether or not my battery is defective. I’m extremely disappointed by the fact that GM continues to cut corners in an effort to save money, despite such a serious safety issue that can affect so many. Myself, my livelihood, my family and even people I park next to while out in public are at risk. GM must be forced to replace the entire battery pack in every vehicle affected by this recall, provide MRSP swaps or buybacks to those impacted by this significant issue. They must also provide loaner vehicles, or details on reimbursement for rental cars, to those who need them due to the fact that their vehicle is virtually unusable while they clean up their mess.”

I own a 2018 Chevy Bolt and GM has issues 3 different recalls on the battery due to risk of combustion. First was a software fix to reduced charge capacity, second was a supposed to be a permanent fix to resolve the issue, and finally GM has issues a 3rd recall where they state they will replace failing modules. With each recall the requirements on the owner to keep the battery from combusting have become more and more strict. Effectively, I only have about 140 miles of battery charge out of 230 because they suggest not charging past 90% and not going below 70 miles remaining. Also I cannot charge my car indoors OR unattended. At this point I feel unsafe having this car near my home or family because of risk of combustion.

Vehicle is useless to me due to the new range restrictions. My medical provider is a little over 100 miles away, and I cannot make the round trip with the reduced range, thus I cannot get my prescription medications.

I own a 2018 Chevy Bolt that is part of the battery recall for possible fires started in the powertrain battery. I have been through both GM recommended appointments at my local Chevy dealer to have the software patches installed and the battery inspected for nominal voltage. While my car's battery passed the voltage inspection this week, there were 2 new fires reported to GM resulting in new recommendations on July 14 to park outside and not charge over night. The real issue here is GM not providing enough information to the owners of Bolts in this recall. Questions such as: What kind of charger was used (110, 220, CCS)? If after market chargers were used before a fire, what brands, what commonality amongst the group of Bolts that have caught fire? What is the minimum battery remaining on the cars that charged before a fire? What is the maximum charge the owners of Bolts that burned charged their cars to? What operational steps can the rest of Bolt owners take to minimize future fire risk? Why isn't GM simply replacing all of the batteries in recalled Bolts rather than pursuing a very poorly run "buyback" process? Why doesn't my EV Battery warranty that is still in effect allow for replacement of the battery with this serious safety situation? Why is NHTSA allowing GM to be so non-communicative about what they are learning of the commonalities of all Bolts that have caught fire? This is a serious safety issue for existing 2017-2019 Bolt owners. We need NHTSA's help getting GM to provide more information about the cars that have caught fire.

Dear Sir/ Madam, I want to report to you the serious problem I have had with my Chevy Bolt EV ( 2018 VIN [XXX]) In the month of November 2020, after a full charge of my EV Bolt, the mileage on the dashboard kept fluctuating when my husband and I were driving from Santa Cruz to Berkeley. I had to charge it again after 70 miles in Berkeley. On our way back the mileage showed almost zero. I got so anxious that I had to stop the car and move it from Highway 101 South bound to Santa Cruz and get it recharged in San Jose. Second, on three separate occasions, the speed limit on the dashboard also kept fluctuating. Since this model was recalled we took our car to a Chevy dealer in Watsonville and got it repaired. We had to leave the car at the dealer for two weeks since the dealer was getting appropriate parts from Michigan to fix the car. Now my speed has been compromised after the repair. I have been told the car will be recalled soon for a final repair. We are not happy with this model and we are negotiating with the manufacturer to get this car replaced. Thank you so much for your help. Sincerely yours, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

03/21/2019, 9/05/2019, 1/19/2020, 10/21/2020, 04/14/2021 HAVE HAD 5 WARRANTY REPAIR ORDERS TO FIX REAR VIEW CAMERA STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING FORWARD AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, VERY DISTRACTING AND DANGEROUS IT ALSO LOCKS OUT ALL CLIMATE AND RADIO CONTROLS. ALSO WHILE VEHICLE IS STOPPED CRUNCHES WHEN TRYING TO PUT IN " PARK"

Mileage: 18,000

BATTERY FIRE RECALL. DEALER LIMITED THE BATTERY FULL CHARGE TO 90% IN NOVEMBER 2020.GM PROMISED A FIX BY FIRST OF 2021. NO FIX AS OF THIS DATE AND MY DRIVING RANGE IS LIMITED AND NOW REQUIRES FREQUENT CHARGING.

Mileage: 19,874

THE FIRST YEAR OF THE LEASE, THE MAIN COMPUTER BEGAN TO FAIL AND THE ENTIRE SCREEN WOULD BECOME BLACK, WITH THE ENTIRE CAR INTERMITTENTLY LOSING POWER ON THE FREEWAY. THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED. LATER ON, THE BLIND SPOT SENSORS BECAME ERRATIC, BUT THIS IS LIKELY DUE TO A SHODDY REPAIR BY THE DEALERSHIP AFTER SOMEONE REAR-ENDED THE CAR. THE PRIMARY CONCERN IS THE POWERTRAIN. THE BATTERY RANGE DECREASED BY NEARLY HALF WHILE DRIVING, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS IN A REMOTE LOCATION. THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE BATTERY MODULES ON THE 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT.

Mileage: 37,513

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, "SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN" APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE SEIZED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO POWER OFF THE VEHICLE WITH THE START BUTTON. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO FAULKNER CHEVROLET OF LANCASTER (LOCATED AT 2000 BENNET AVE, LANCASTER, PA 17601, (717) 299-0961) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVE MODULE, INVERTER, AND A POWER CABLE (HARNESS) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,403.

Mileage: 7,403

ON MARCH 17, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:45P.M., WE PARKED THE BOLT IN THE DRIVEWAY OF OUR HOME. WE EXITED THE BOLT AND PLUGGED IT INTO OUR JUICEBOX (LEVEL 2) CHARGER AS USUAL. AT APPROXIMATELY 5:00 PM, WE WERE ALERTED THAT THE BOLT WAS ON FIRE. WE DISCOVERED SMOKE BILLOWING OUT OF THE REAR OF THE BOLT AND THE BOLT APPARENTLY COMBUSTING FROM WITHIN IN THE AREA OF THE BATTERY CELLS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND TOOK APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS TO CONTROL THE FIRE AND SMOKE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EVACUATED US, OUR DOWNSTAIRS NEIGHBORS, AND BOTH UNITS OF THE HOME NEXT DOOR DURING THE FIRE. THE FUMES FROM THE BURNING MATERIALS WAS SO THICK AND NOXIOUS IT PERMEATED OUR HOME, REQUIRING PROFESSIONAL CLEANING. WE EXPERIENCED HEADACHES FOLLOWING CONTACT WITH THE SMOKE. THE BOLT IS A TOTAL LOSS. IT TOOK CHEVY A FEW DAYS TO RESPOND TO OUR CLAIM. EVENTUALLY CHEVY SENT TWO ENGINEERS FROM DETROIT TO OUR DRIVEWAY TO INSPECT THE JUICE BOX. CHEVY PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY.

Mileage: 5,500

WHILE APPROACHING A BUSY INTERSECTION OF A BUSY CITY STREET, AS COMING TO A STOP FIRST USING REGENERATIVE BRAKING, THEN APPLYING THE MECHANICAL BRAKES, THE GAUGE CLUSTER READ "LIMITED DRIVING CAPABILITY" (OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT). AS I CAME TO A STOP THE CAR SHIFTED ITSELF TO PARK AND APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE. I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE AND TAKE OFF THE PARKING BRAKE, WITH NO SUCCESS. THE VEHICLE INSTRUCTED TO GO BACK INTO PARK, WHICH IT DID WITHOUT MY INTERVENTION. I TRIED REVERSE AND NEUTRAL WITH NO EFFECT. ALL OTHER ELECTRONICS APPEARED TO WORK PROPERLY. I PUT ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS. I TRIED TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON BY PRESSING THE START BUTTON, BUT THE CAR REBOOTED SHOWING A GLOBE LIKE GRAPHIC WHICH SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF "RE-INITIALIZING". POLICE WERE CALLED AT THIS POINT AS I WAS LIMITING SAFE TRAFFIC MOVEMENT BY BLOCKING A LANE. I ATTEMPTED THE RESTARTING PROCEDURE REPETITIVELY, WITH NO SUCCESS TO GET THE VEHICLE MOVING AGAIN. A TOW TRUCK WAS REQUIRED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROAD AS THE ROAD WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO TRY PUSHING THE VEHICLE, AND THE CAR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO NEUTRAL. MY DEALERSHIP STATES THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE THE "TRANSMISSION" TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.

Mileage: 265