Most common 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems
Share of the 178 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Bolt EV complaints by model year
Best Bolt EV years: 2021, 2022. Compare all years →
2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV recalls (6)
Seat belts › Pretensioner
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.
Remedy: 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.
Seat belts › Pretensioner
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.
Remedy: Dealers will install metal foil at the carpet near the pretensioner exhaust, and install a pretensioner cover as necessary, free of charge.
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery
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.
Remedy: 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…
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery
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.
Remedy: This recall has been superseded by recall number 21V-560.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.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The door-handle cable inside the rear doors may be too long, allowing contact with the window when it is opened, possibly damaging the cable. A damaged cable may cause the rear door to open unintentionally when the rear window is opened.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear inside door-handle cables, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Caliper
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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV:
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
In October 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE) on 2017-2020 Model Year (MY) Chevrolet Bolt vehicles based on complaints received alleging that the vehicles caught fire under the seating area while parked and unattended. At the time, ODI had received 2 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and several field reports.
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles.
What 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV owners say
Electrical system all 85 →
The contact owned a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked in the garage on the charger when the contact heard the vehicle's horn. The contact entered the garage and saw white smoke coming from underneath the rear of the vehicle. The contact was able to unplug the vehicle. The contact's son called 911. The contact stated that when the fire department arrived at his home the passenger rear on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire department report was filed. The contact was treated for smoke inhalation. Additionally, while the contact's wife was attempting to exit the residence, she broke three toes and was taken to urgent care the following day. The fire department inspected the vehicle but was unsure if the fire was due to the battery. The insurance company had the vehicle towed from the residence and deemed the vehicle a total loss. …
I currently lease a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt which is part of the recall announced today 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 March. 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 that they will again be using software to identify defective cells in our batteries and only the ones that are deternined to be defective will have those cells or battery packs replaced. …
Steering all 46 →
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to return to center after turning to the left or the right. The contact used excessive force to manually return the steering wheel to center. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the rack and pinion assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 24,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while veering to the left or right, the steering wheel failed to return to center as expected and the vehicle was difficult to steer. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact researched the failure and linked the failure to the steering rack. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.
Fuel & propulsion system all 44 →
I currently lease a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt which is part of the recall announced today 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 March. 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 that they will again be using software to identify defective cells in our batteries and only the ones that are deternined to be defective will have those cells or battery packs replaced. …
I was denied the buyback by GM due to the weak lemon law in the state of Michigan. GM should be replacing these batteries if they are not allowing a buyback or trade up. There were 16,418 Bolts produced in the US-market for the model year 2019. If I take a ballpark half of the vehicles with Korean cells, and half of the vehicles produced with cells in Holland Michigan (The Holland cells not having the defect), to-date we are looking at 5 in 8,209 cars catching fire due to the battery defect. That translates to 1 in every 1,641 2019-model-year Korean-cell Bolts catching fire, to-date. Statistically, this number cannot go down. This represents a much higher percentage than what GM is publicly stating. This is a much higher, unacceptable risk. …
2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | Single-speed | FWD | 128 / 110 / 119 MPGe | 238 mi |
EPA ratings. Class: Wagon.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV a good car?
Based on 178 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2019 Bolt EV rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Bolt EV at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
The electrical system — 85 complaints, 48% of all complaints for this model year, most often about 12v/24v/48v battery. Next are the steering (46) and fuel & propulsion system (44).
How many recalls does the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV, the most recent from December 14, 2023 (pretensioner). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Bolt EV?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2021 and 2022. See the full Chevrolet Bolt EV years comparison.
At what mileage do 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 10,000 miles; 97% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.