Chevrolet Bolt EV Electrical Problems

Electrical complaints by model year

Which parts fail

• 12V/24V/48V battery
  11
• Propulsion system › Traction battery
  7
• Propulsion system › Charging › Cable/cord › Accessory
  4
• ADAS › Autonomous/self driving › Software
  1
• Propulsion system
  1
• Propulsion system › Charging › Cable/cord › Onboard
  1
• 12V/24V/48V battery › Cables
  1

Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  4262%
• 25k–50k
  1624%
• 50k–75k
  913%
• 75k–100k
  11%
• 100k–150k
  00%
• 150k+
  00%

What owners report

I was sitting in the passenger seat of my new 2023 Chevy Bolt EV while parked at a convenience station. The vehicle was on and not hooked up to a charger. I smelled something burning and quickly thereafter I saw smoke coming from under the driver side seat. The driver exited the vehicle and looked under the seat. The driver attempted to put out the fire with his hand and the carpeting under the seat. The fire got bigger. I ran to the closest extinguisher and pulled the pin to extinguish the fire. It was out for several seconds before re-igniting again. Another round of extinguisher foam was released and the fire was put out. I reported the damage to the dealership, the car manufacturer and my insurance company. I towed it to the dealership where it has been sitting since 6/1/24. Nothing further has been done since then. …

Sudden rapid acceleration of car while parking vehicle on December 20, 2023 at approximately 2:00pm. The sudden rapid acceleration caused the vehicle to jump a curb and hit the base of the light pole damaging the right front of the car. Car was towed to the dealership and is currently there. If the car had not hit the base of the light pole, the car could have continued on into a driving lane possibly striking another car or pedestrian. To date , 12/31/23, the car has not been inspected to my knowledge. There was no warning lamps or messages. While reaching down to push the Park button, the engine, which is normally quiet, made a loud whirring noise and then lurched forward.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while pulling out of a parking lot, the vehicle stalled, failed to shift into gear and would not turn off. A towing agent disconnected the battery and the vehicle turned off. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the service disconnect fuse had blown. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the engine control module (ECM) was replaced, however, the failure reoccurred upon starting the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened; however, the manufacturer had not followed up or returned the contact's calls. The failure mileage was approximately 6,612.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while attempting to charge the vehicle, the charging system failed to charge the vehicle adequately. The contact stated that shortly after beginning to charge the vehicle, the vehicle overheated after 30 minutes, and the charging light turned from blue to red. The contact then had to disconnect the charger. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure with the charging unit. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200.

Video available and was given to USAA insurance company. This 2021 GM Chevrolet Bolt EV Premier trim vehicle experienced a sudden uncommanded extreme acceleration when I selected "D" (drive) mode on the transmission selector after using "R" (reverse) to back out of a parking lot parking space. The vehicle, despite my stomping and holding the brake pedal down and repeatedly selecting a different mode on the transmission selector, could not be stopped and still wanted to accelerate. The vehicle traveled an estimated 250 feet through a parking lot, crossing a street, hitting the curbs at high speed and through a field. The vehicle stopped against some concrete debris in the field pushing in the bumper slightly but with no airbag deployment. The mishap incident was video recorded and thankfully, there were no passengers or public / private property damages / injuries.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the vehicle failed to stop as needed, and struck a pole. The contact stated that the Forward Collison Avoidance feature failed to stop the vehicle. The contact was unaware of a warning light being illuminated. The vehicle was not towed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the Forward Collision Avoidance was inoperable. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact was advised to take the vehicle to a dealer to get the Forward Collision Avoidance system repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact received no assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

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.

Related recalls (6)

NHTSA investigations