Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
Vehicle was driving in DRIVE mode, and began to surge as if it was regenerating hard (Felt as if downshifted quickly in a manual), which was odd since it was in DRIVE not LOW. Pulled over and placed the car in PARK. Car began to smoke (First noticed from the front underbody). Exited the vehicle and got far away. Called 911 and gave the dispatcher the information. The car lit on fire. Called 911 let them know the fire had begun. Car fully burned by the time the fire department was able to put out the fire. -What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Unknown, and it will be available for inspection if requested. -How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The fire could have easily killed someone and having to stand on the shoulder of a multilane highway next to a blaze was dangerous. …
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while attempting to recharge the vehicle, the charging unit that plugs into the vehicle failed to securely lock into place. The battery had to be disconnected for approximately 5 minutes and then reconnect to the terminal. Once reconnected, a spark was created, releasing the blockage and allowing the charger to operate correctly. The door that covered the socket where the plug was inserted failed to seal correctly. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was made aware of the failure however, the mechanic was unable to identify the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 18,106.
I just want the battery pack to be replaced with one that does not catch fire due to manufacturing defects. Nearly all of the fires have been 2019 model years. 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. GM needs to be replacing these defective batteries, or we will continue to see more fires. …
Chevrolet has a major safety defect on their hands with the 2017-2019 Bolt EV. In 2020 a safety recall was issued on the Bolt EV around batteries catching fire in unattended new, low mileage vehicles. A temporary fix was assigned to restrict the battery's state of charge to 90%. After several months, a "final" software fix was issued to address the problem (N202311731). Since this fix, two additional fires have occurred in low mileage / non-abused or damaged vehicles. Today Chevrolet issued an additional recall (N212343880) stating that battery cell swaps would be required and owners should not maintain a state of charge outside of 30%-90% (reducing the range from 235 miles to 140 miles or less). …
In response to Safety Recall N202311731, GM updated the battery management software in my 2019 Bolt on 6/4/21. I was not satisfied that updating the software would solve a physical battery pack problem and requested a buyback (which GM had been granting since February 2021). GM Case No. 9-6763124491 declined on 6/29/21, and GM referred me to BBB AutoLine. GM Rep would not tell me why my case was declined when many others were clearly approved. Vermont Bolt burned on 7/1/21. Filed BBB Case No. CHV2119981 7/2/21. On 7/13/21 BBB determined my complaint not "within the jurisdiction" of the program because there were "less than 2 repair attempts". Now GM issues 2nd Recall N212343880 saying that batteries may be replaced, but gives NO TIMEFRAME. …
I have a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt with a US made battery. It is not part of the recall for battery fires. NHTSA, Chevrolet, and LG all say that the problem with the fires is "2 rare manufacturing defects" and not an issue with the battery design or the manufacturing process. It has a 60kwh battery just like the Korean made batteries that have caught fire. It is produced at an LG factory following their industrial design, and presumably the manufacturing process is the same as at the Korean factory - since it was a defect that caused the problem, and not a manufacturing problem. However, LG has had to recall batteries made for other brands of autos. LG has had to recall home storage batteries. Looking at all the different batteries that LG has had to recall, how can I trust NHTSA when they restate that the problem is a rare manufacturing defect that was identified by Chevrolet and LG? …
The recall on the defective batteries in the 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVs has presented a safety risk and a loss of function that has reached a completely unacceptable level. Us as owners are living under the spectre of a fire that can cause significant personal or property damage and to date, GM's recalls have failed. GM just released their second recall for the issue after fires continued after applying the first fix. In addition, the guidance of how to use the vehicle after completing the new recall renders the car unusable from a practical perspective. As an electric vehicle, range is limited and is affected by cold temperatures and highway miles. The guidance to reduce the charge to a maximum of 90% and never drive below 70-miles range severely hampers the usefulness of the vehicle. Additional guidance includes not parking indoors, and not charging overnight. …
Our 2019 bolt is overwhelmingly more likely to cause a fire than comparable ICE cars due to the battery defects. GM first tried to resolve this with a software "fix" that didn't actually fix anything. There have continued to be fires with this "fix" applied. I park my car in a parking lot because I live in a townhome. Should it catch fire, my neighbors cars are also at risk of catching fire. I have nowhere available to park it to keep it away from other vehicles or property. GM says they'll replace affected battery cells but isn't giving a timeline or telling customers how they intend to know which parts of the battery are affected or how they can say with certainty that parts that are unaffected will remain that way. GM isn't standing by their product at all, and they're leaving customers out to dry. …
Related recalls
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.
NHTSA investigations
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.
Electrical complaints in other Bolt EV years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
NHTSA has 85 complaints about the electrical system of the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 48% of the model year's 178 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-560 (traction battery, Jul 23, 2021); NHTSA recall 20V-701 (traction battery, Nov 13, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 15,000 miles, and 80% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 9 fires and 2 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.