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 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt. The contact stated that while the vehicle was plugged into the charge box however not being fully charged. The contact stated that prior to the failure occurring the vehicle was already charged fully, without warning a couple of hours later, the vehicle exploded in the driveway of the contact's residence. The contact looked out the window and noticed smoke appear under the vehicle. The contact ran outside and within a minute the vehicle was engulfed in flames. Flames were seen underneath the vehicle and around the rear wheel well. The police were contacted attempted to extinguish the flames however failed. The fire department was contacted and came out to extinguish the flames. The vehicle did damage the driveway. The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed. …
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended, the vehicle exploded. The contact believed the failure was due to the battery. The front left tire message was displayed. The battery was previously replaced. The local dealer was contacted regarding the battery purchase. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called another local dealer. La Quinta Chevy Cady Service, 79225 CA-111, La Quinta, CA 92253, to obtain the service records, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. There were no reported injuries, police report filed, or airbag deployments. The manufacturer was contacted, who filed an incident report. The failure mileage was approximately 53,030.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked their daughter noticed that smoke was emitting from the rear of the vehicle. When the contact came to view the vehicle the smoke had resolved and the vehicle appeared normal. The approximate failure mileage was 6,600. Vin tool confirms parts distribution disconnect. (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the high-beam headlights activated independently while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the front driver's side seat heater would engage independently while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact veered to the side of the road, turned off, and restarted the vehicle in order to disengage the high-beam headlights and seat heater because the vehicle failed to respond while attempting to disengage the features manually. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (Electrical System), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, after the repair, the vehicle made abnormal loud while charging. Additionally, the battery started overheating, causing the front end of the vehicle to become significantly hot. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated he had received a message through the Chevrolet app advising that the battery had failed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Goss Chevrolet (622 US-11, Champlain, NY 12919), where the same assessment was made. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. …
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while charging, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound. The vehicle became very hot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V650000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who stated that parts were not yet available. The dealer informed the contact about additional testing. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but, no further assistance was provided. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The failure mileage was 36,000. The contact requested the manufacturer to buy back vehicle. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while driving approximately 4 MPH and exiting the driveway, the check engine warning light and the check gear shifter warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the same dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the negative 12V battery cable had short circuited and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle shifted into limp mode with several warning messages displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 45 MPH. The contact initially drove the vehicle back to the residence and attempted to recharge the vehicle however, the vehicle was not charged. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that the vehicle's charge was designed to last for 259 miles, but failed to exceed 100 miles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V812000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the failure persisted. The vehicle recently failed to charge, with an error message that the vehicle was unable to charge displayed. The contact stated that the recall repair failed to correct the issue. The dealer was contacted, and a service appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (Electrical System) and 22V930000 (Structure, Seat Belts) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the vehicle had reduced mileage for the battery charge down to approximately 80%. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery thermal › Management › Software
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.
Remedy: 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…
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery
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.
Remedy: 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…
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery
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.
Remedy: 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…
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 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
NHTSA has 94 complaints about the electrical system of the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 54% of the model year's 174 complaints. The component named most often is propulsion system › traction battery (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 24V-812 (software, Oct 31, 2024); NHTSA recall 24V-481 (traction battery, Jun 27, 2024); NHTSA recall 21V-650 (traction battery, Aug 20, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 35,000 miles, and 36% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 4 fires and 0 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.