2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV fuel system problems

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

While driving on the freeway at 65 mph during morning rush-hour, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated without warning and came to a stop. The vehicle was barely able to make it to the shoulder before losing all momentum. There is a high-risk of a fatal collision when a vehicle unexpectedly stops or drastically slows on a freeway with 65 - 70 mph traffic, which is compounded during peak travel times. This is a risk to not only the vehicle occupants, but other drivers and vehicles as well. Several error messages were displayed on the dashboard as the car was decelerating: Drivetrain malfunction: Stop and turn off engine; Service high voltage battery system; Service Vehicle Soon; Unable to shift. The battery range dropped from just under 50% (~115 mi) to 0 while attempting to pull over on the shoulder. After the vehicle was stopped, it was unable to be powered off for about an hour. It was not successful in shifting or moving and the battery range showed 0. An hour and a half (1.5 hours) after the incident, the vehicle would power on and show a battery range between 121 - 110, which would drop to 0 within 15 seconds with a message that it is unable to charge. At the time of the incident, OnStar sent an email stating that "A critical issue with the engine and transmission system in your 2019 Chevy Bolt has been detected. Please service your vehicle immediately." The battery had been replaced the week of February 5th, 2023 per several product safety recall notices . There was one issue on February 18th, 2023 that the battery range was not updating, but it corrected itself after being parked for 3 hours. There were no other previous issues or indications of a problem prior to vehicle malfunction. The vehicle is currently being diagnosed by a dealer. It is currently available for inspection. The electrical, propulsion, and powertrain (and possibly speed control) systems did not function properly.

NHTSA complaint #11521369 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

After driving the car for roughly 60-75 minutes while at highway speeds and within the posted speed limits: 65mph-75mph, the car will chime and the driver information panel will flash "Propulsion Reduced." At that point, the vehicle's electrical propulsion will gradually reduce to a maximum output power of roughly 20KW. The propulsion will stay capped at 20KW for a bit of time (15-20 minutes) and then gradually the cap will increase. Unfortunately, on I-25 in southern Colorado where this usually occurs, the speed limit is 75mph and and 20KW of propulsion results in the vehicle traveling on the interstate at roughly 45-55mph which results in very unsafe situations. That road has a minimum speed of 55mph. This happened on the first day that I purchased the car, I can reproduce it with my family in the car, but the dealer has been unable to reproduce it. I have had the Chevrolet dealership inspect it multiple times, but they can not find a fault. It has happened when ambient temperatures are as low as 28F and as high as 98F there does not appear to be a correlation there. I have had it happen when the battery has a SOC of 70% and as low as 25%, that also does not show a correlation. I have seen a correlation with passengers/weight in the vehicle as that requires more KW of output to propel the car. Likewise, consistent average speed has a correlation. If traveling at 75mph (posted speed limit) the propulsion reduction will occur sooner rather than traveling at 73mph.

NHTSA complaint #11518325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Vehicle without warning stopped moving while making a left turn in an intersection at night. Power to dashboard was on but no propulsion, brakes or steering. Was unable to put car into gear to move forward or in reverse. Message was displayed, "Unable to Initalize Propulsion System" Extremely dangerous situation, I turned on flashers and left car in intersection. Called tow truck. When tow truck arrived, we pushed car to curb and he hauled it away. Cheverolet dealer diagnosed the problem as a defective wiring harness. He said there was a GM alert regarding this as a known issue that led him to the defective wiring harness. They charged $1567 to replace it which included $1200 in labor and recommended I contact GM to see if they would compensate me since it was a known issue and the car was only 2 months off warrantee. GM refused to compensate me for the faulty harness. The Bolt has 19K miles on it, is kept in a garage and has never been in an accident.

NHTSA complaint #11508757 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I'm experiencing the loss of propulsion covered in this bulletin. It's happened around 5 times. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10176614-9999.pdf The malfunction indicator lamp comes on after each incident and then clears. The problem has been confirmed by a dealer and they are refusing to repair it under either the power train or emission control systems warranty. Losing propulsion is a safety issue, particularly in high speed traffic, and it needs to be fixed.

NHTSA complaint #11495863 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The battery recall on this vehicle has NOT been fixed by GM, your database is incorrect. The vehicle is still a fire/explosion hazard. GM's is not in compliance with NHTSA Recall 21V560 on the Chevy Bolt EV for myslef, a US service member ordered to duty in Germany. I am active duty Navy, and was ordered to duty in Stuttgart Germany, with a transfer date in July 2021. At that time Chevy had cleared the recall, so I shipped the vehicle to Germany. However once it arrived here the recall was reinstated. I contacted GM who said to contact Opel in Germany (their local subsidiary). Opel stated that GM in the US would ship them the parts and they would make the repairs. This was nearly a year ago, and so far NO repairs have been done, and the vehicle remains a hazard to me and my family, and cannot be sold or shipped back. Every time we contact GM (or Opel) we are told they are 'preparing to ship parts', and that it should take 8 to 12 weeks. We wait 12 weeks and nothing happens, so we ask them again, and they say wait another 8 to 12 weeks.. At this point I do not believe they have any intention of shipping parts or repairing the vehicle, and are therefore in violation of the NHTSA recall. Note: We are no longer located in Maryland, we are in Germany, but your form does not allow for overseas addresses, or US Forces (APO AE). I suggest you correct your online form, as Americans overseas serving our counry should not be disenfranchised.

NHTSA complaint #11472520 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Part of the charging element - the metal clip- locks up and will not allow the car to be plugged in to charge. According to Chevrolet dealer this is a known issue but customers have not been notified by GM. They do not have a fix other than taking the car to the dealer and doing a factory reset. This is dangerous for people who may not discover the problem until their car is too low on miles/charge and may not be able to get it reset. It is happening multiple times, even after dealer reset.

NHTSA complaint #11465587 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

On 4/13/2022, my wife was driving her 2019 Chevy Bolt EV when a dash light came on. When she told me about the light, I checked GM's mobile app and the Diagnostic Information stated, "Immediate Attention, Lithium-Ion Battery: Issue found with On-Board Charging System. Please schedule a service appointment." This was odd since I knew that the vehicle had a full battery replacement due to the safety recalls for this particular vehicle. The replacement occurred at Reeder Chevrolet in Knoxville, TN in November of 2021. I also noticed a considerable range drop while driving the vehicle prior to this warning. I notified Reeder Chevrolet and they were unable to service the vehicle in a timely manner so I reached out to Beaty Chevrolet in Knoxville, TN. The next day we decided to drop off the vehicle, knowing it could take a while. As we were heading to the dealership, my wife stated she nearly wrecked her car because the steering became very difficult to turn, and could not turn in traffic properly. She said she had to force the steering wheel with all her strength just to get it to turn. When we got to the dealership, I reported the incident to them and they said they would look into it. I got a callback today, 4/15/2022, that the battery is fine and that Reeder Chevrolet did not perform the battery replacement correctly. They did not perform the proper vacuum replacement of the coolant and the computer sent a code. They stated they performed the proper coolant fix and that my range should go back to normal. As for the steering, the steering has been confirmed by their technicians at Beaty Chevrolet that there is in fact a major problem with the steering assembly. A new replacement is needed and should take 12 hours to complete with the cost of $2100.00. I believe this is not the only incident due to other Bolt owners stating they have the same issues (chevybolt.org). This needs to be recalled for the safety of the driver and others.

NHTSA complaint #11460962 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Last week, we had our 2019 Bolt serviced at a dealership - they had "replaced drive motor battery high voltage manual disconnect" and did some sort of check on the "high voltage battery." We had also showed them a message we got from On Star that an "issue had been detected with the electric drive unit" and get it serviced within seven days. We bought the Bolt in the Fall of 2019 and it has less than 5,000 miles on it. We are on the waitlist for the LIB recall. 6 days after getting the car back from service, my wife was driving the car when suddenly the car went completely dead. Fortunately, she was not on the highway where she could have been killed, but on a quiet suburban street. I came over to assist and we arranged to have it towed to the Chevy dealership. After the Bolt stopped running, my wife again received the message saying "issue had been detected with the electric drive unit." They are now working on the Bolt. They are telling us that the problems are (1) the 12 volt battery has low state charge power and needed to be replaced and (2) there is a "faulty accessory power module" which they have ordered a part for. They do not think it is LIB related. They are not sure what "electric drive unit" means and will need to check with Chevrolet.

NHTSA complaint #11456265 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The car's AC, which cools the battery stopped working. The vehicle says to be serviced immidiately but Chevrolet has not found a local dealer or mechanic in Puerto Rico (where my car is currently situated) that can service it. I am afraid the car will light on fire because the car already has a battery recall, which they have yet to resolve as well.

NHTSA complaint #11449521 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FIRE RISK. Chevy Bolts are known and have an active recall on a fire risk. They did one fix, which reduced my vehicle range. It has shown that fix did not work, and they further reduced our range, plus told us not to park inside or charge overnight, which decreases the practicality of the vehicle. As per the recall notice and your website, I am instructed to contact you if the manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for your vehicle in a timely manner. They have NOT remedied this in a timely manner as it has been since August 2021 that I have been in contact with them to have it resolved, and we agreed to their offer back in October but they have taken no action to fulfill the offer and now it is Dec 2021. Each day is a risk to my family. We have to park both our vehicles in our driveway, and there is an overhanging tree, so if there is a fire it would still be catastrophic.

NHTSA complaint #11444234 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

GM has been unable to provide a remedy for GM recall N212343880, NHTSA#21V560 in a timely manner, and has issued recommendations that are impossible for most owners to adhere to. Most recently GM has communicated that owners should park outside 50 feet away from other vehicles and structures. I live in a moderately densely populated area and this is impossible. I can not prevent other drivers from parking near me. GM should be required to buyback vehicles which have a safety defect which they have are unable to repair in a timely manner. Bolt EVs have been under safety recalls for almost a full year now, and no GM action to date has been successful in preventing Bolt fires.

NHTSA complaint #11433370 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The manufacturer, GM, has failed to remedy this safety recall for my vehicle in a timely manner. The 2019 Bolt EV I purchased from GM presents a real and present danger as a fire risk, while I am being told to limit my vehicle's usage. I cannot easily follow their safety guidelines because this is the only car my family owns -- we cannot simply give up visiting relatives to not deplete the car below 70 miles of range nor can we personally watch the hours it takes to recharge the vehicle outdoors. This renders the vehicle wholly unusable as a modern car that I paid for in a new condition. I do not feel safe putting my daughter in this vehicle, nor parking it in our driveway. In addition, I live in California, and I would be devastated if my vehicle was the cause of a fire in this state. I have called the GM Concierge line 8 different times over the past 8 weeks (I have the records) to attempt a vehicle swap, and every single time after their initial conversation to gather details, GM has not responded to me with any updates. The latest incident was a Bolt EV that exploded in Sacramento. I want a working car, not a lemon waiting to kill me.

NHTSA complaint #11431282 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Our Bolt seems to have been under recall more than it's not. We've had range subtractions to try to limit the chance of fire for years. Now we have more major range subtractions, can't park it indoors, and can't charge it overnight or unattended. We are also currently at the best temperature for these limits and they are making the vehicle un-drivable due to lack of range and time to charge, these issues will become even worse as the season changes and we start to get colder for winter. We've done all the previous recalls and waited on GM to stop trying to dance around the problem with software and just replace the known parts that have manufactured defects. We feel we've waited long enough and have done all we can to help GM sidestep their known hazard, and the news and recalls get worse and worse. We contacted GM back in July and started our buyback claim, since then sadly GM's reps have stopped responding since late July.

NHTSA complaint #11430040 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

We own a 2019 Chevy Bolt affected by the July 23 recall. There have been 9 2019 Bolts that have caught fire. The 2019 Bolts with batteries made in Korea are significantly impacted. We find the level of risk associated with continuing to use the vehicle to be unacceptable. Fire departments need special training to put out EV battery fires. We have no idea if our small local fire department has this kind of training. The new guidelines are difficult and probably inadequate. Parking in the driveway leaves the car still too close to our house. The fires in other cars have occurred 3-6 hours after charging. Could the car catch fire after being driven in that 6 hour window after charging? Could it catch fire while parked near other cars? What if a child was waiting for a parent in that car? With charging to only 90% and not letting the battery drop below 30%, we are left with far less safely usable range than what we paid for when we bought this expensive vehicle. Too many times this week we have watched the range drop with a level of fear that is just not OK. GM already tried to use software to detect defects, and they admit that it failed. They won’t say how things will be different this time. They also won’t say how the replaced cells will work effectively with the older cells. So even after the remedy is applied, can we trust the integrity of the battery pack? GM has given no timeline for this remedy. We have been told loaners or rental vehicles will be offered by GM, we don’t have it in writing and the dealership we are working with seems unaware of this policy and/or unwilling to part with any of its loaners. And we’ve been told that GM will not reimburse until the loaner or rental period ends, leaving owners to front the cost. What about the owners who can’t do that? GM must replace all battery backs, provide vehicle replacements, or buy back the cars from affected owners.

NHTSA complaint #11427366 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

After having the car's software "fixed" in May 2021 according to the previous recall instructions, we are informed that battery fires may occur in 2017-2019 Chevy Bolt EVs with defective battery packs manufactured in S Korea by LG Energy. Based on our VIN, GM informs us that the battery pack in our 2019 BoltEV was made by LG Energy and instructed us to limit charging and keep the battery within a limited charge range. In our living situation we cannot park the car outside as also advised by GM due to the battery fire hazard. Therefore, we now face severe limitations in owning and driving this car. 1. the danger of a car fire originating in the battery, endangering residents and common property in our condo building, including cars parked in neighboring spaces in the building's ground-floor garage, potentially leading to a condo association requirement that we park the car off-site, at considerable expense and inconvenience; 2. greatly reduced battery range: only 110-mile range instead of the advertised 238-mile range, greatly reducing the feasibility of longer-range travel in the car; 3. massively reduced resale value due to these issues, making it financially impossible for us to replace the car on our own; Due to the problems with this vehicle, we cannot drive or charge it as advertised, nor easily replace it. GM should either promptly replace the entire battery pack to entirely eliminate the chance of a battery fire from this defect or buy the vehicle back for a reasonable sum that compensates us for this grave disappointment and allows us to purchase a new BoltEV with minimal cost to us, the innocent consumers.

NHTSA complaint #11427303 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Within the first 20 months of ownership of my vehicle - I became aware of multiple reported fires due to the battery on other similar 2019 Chevy Bolts (and other years) where (like my vehicle) had batteries manufactured in Korea which subsequently found to contain a number of defects which pose a fire risk. For many months and currently I have had harsh limitations placed on how far I am able to drive my vehicle due to requested safety measures GM is requesting (to NOT charge over 90% and to NOT let the vehicle go below 30% - effectively limiting range by 60%). Additionally, we are not able to charge the vehicle overnight and must remove the vehicle from the garage after charging due to fire risk. This is unacceptable! I requested a buyback from GM or MSRP swap but was denied. There is currently NO FIX available and it's unclear to when if this will be fully resolved. I am afraid to use my vehicle as my charger is located in my garage where my sons bedroom is directly above the garage. My vehicle poses a great risk to my families safety.

NHTSA complaint #11427219 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

There is an open recall on my vehicle, but Chevy NEVER notified me about it. I received an email about the initial recall in November 2020, but found out about this most recent recall ONLY from the Chevy Bolt EV Facebook group I am part of. Searching my VIN on the Chevy website did not yield any results for a couple of weeks (now it says that there is an open recall but no remedy yet), but now searching the VIN and looking at the battery sticker information tells me that I am, indeed, part of this recall and have never heard anything directly from Chevy. Many others in the group reported receiving an email but I have not received any communication. This seems very suspect and very dangerous. I purchased the car used from a dealer but since I received the original Nov 2020 recall information I know that Chevy has my information, they just didn't contact me for some reason.

NHTSA complaint #11426938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

There is not a specific incident with my own vehicle, but my complaint lies with all models, including my own, that have been determined to have a high fire risk, particularly the 2019 year model and manufacturing source of my battery. The recently re-activated recall (NHTSA# 21V560) indicates that GM has again recognized the risk of danger but has failed to address the manufacturing defects within their battery systems in a timely manner. After recognizing a battery fire risk over a year ago, GM's initial recall fix was insufficient to effectively reduce the risk of fire and potential harm to property and people. During the previous recall, GM had recommended a reduction of charge to reduce the risk of fire and during this re-issue of the recall has recommended even more restrictions on the charging levels and logisitics of when and how to charge the battery safely. These recommendations over the life of this extended recall has drastically reduced the function and capabilities of the vehicle as implied by GM when I originally purchased the vehicle. Essentially, the safety of my vehicle and therefore of my property and family is at risk, and despite the recent recall, GM has not moved quickly to address this issue by repairing the vehicle to reduce the risk of fire.

NHTSA complaint #11427010 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Since about November of 2020 this vehicle has been under a recall, due to potential fire danger of the batteries. The interim solution was to not charge the battery above 90%. Within the last couple of months a "final" solution was initiated by GM, to solve this potential fire situation. I have had this "final" solution performed on my vehicle by the dealer. Now, we are informed that fires are still happening on these vehicles, even with the final repair. We are now told do not charge overnight un-monitored. Do not let the battery get below 30% or above about 80%. Do not store the vehicle in doors. I now read that GM does not expect any sort of "new" solution until September, or perhaps later. None of this works for us, with our current usage of this vehicle as our main transportation.

NHTSA complaint #11427032 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Safety put at risk due to recall where car could suddenly burst into flames. Remedy timeline tbd by Chevy putting myself and family in undue stress.

NHTSA complaint #11426860 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Incident hasn't occurred YET. Worried about car and property. Leaving car outside is an invitation for car thieves in our area and we're having major hail storms.

NHTSA complaint #11426417 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I have a 2019 Chevy Bolt EV, with a potential for the High Voltage Battery to catch on fire. There was a first recall back in Nov. 2020, Manufacture states that there was a final fix for the High Voltage Battery. I took the vehicle in for the final fix. Recently there was a 2019 Chevy Bolt that caught on fire with the final fix for the recall. Now there’s a second recall for the same issues, now I can NOT park my car inside the garage and not charge it at night, because of a potential for the vehicle to change on fire. I have 2 boys that lives about the garage and I live in a Townhouse. This recall is a safety problems for everyone, it poses a safety risk while the vehicle is charging. The vehicle is a safety hazards to the public and building structures.

NHTSA complaint #11426316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Chevrolet has been unable to fix a severe battery fire issue in a timely manner, which effectively turns the Bolt EV a ticking time bomb that can potentially burn down my house, with my family's dead bodies in it. After multiple Bolt EV battery fires, GM acknowledged the issue first in Nov 2020, it took GM roughly half a year to come up with a software solution to "monitor" the batteries; during that half a year time period, we were told to limit our charge and park outside, without no assurance that the car wouldn't catch file when charging inside our garage. After receiving the "final" software remedy, two other Bolt EVs have caught fire, GM started another recall, with no solution and no timeline, and no assurance or credibility that they can provide a proper fix, my Bolt EV is turning into a ticking time bomb again. While charging outside of sleep hours lowers the chance of dying from fire, the risk of burning down our house is equal. We need GM to buy back the Bolt EVs while they figure out and apply a proper solution, instead of risking consumer's lives and properties to wait for the fix.

NHTSA complaint #11426361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My Bolt falls under the recall for a main battery pack defect that has resulted in several car fires. Chevy states we should part outside our garage if the car is parked and charged there. This is a major inconvenience to owning the car. I requested a buyback several months ago when they were being offered by Chevy. Since Ohio's Lemon Laws are poor I was denied. I had little faith Chevy could find the problem with software and I was correct.

NHTSA complaint #11426302 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

GM's recall solution is unacceptable and leaves consumers with virtually unusable vehicles if they follow GM's safety recommendations. This situation has been allowed to go on too long and we are lucky that no one has gotten hurt.

NHTSA complaint #11426170 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The battery in these vehicles is prone to catching on fire when charging, resulting in the complete destruction of the vehicle. GM has been failing to repair these vehicles for over a year. They have now issued a third recall for the same problem with no resolution and guidelines that require owners not to use their vehicles in any reasonable manner. This recall represents a serious danger to life and property, with a fire that could cost untold damages. These vehicles are unsafe, and GM is clearly unwilling or incapable of repairing the defect.

NHTSA complaint #11426193 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

On May 11, 2021 I responded to GM's safety recall notice by bringing the car to a local Chevrolet dealer, who performed the service as per GM's instructions. Since then the battery has continued to charge or attempt to charge for several hours after it has been fully charged as indicated by the instrument panel readout and the dashboard indicator. I reported the problem to GM by phone several weeks ago and was instructed to bring the car back to the dealer that had performed the recall service. I did so on July 7 but I wasn't convinced that the dealer appreciated the seriousness of the problem, so I immediately called GM 's EV hotline (866-790-5600 ext. 5912316) where a case was opened. As of July 18 I am still waiting for further instructions from GM. My case number is 9-6818768332.

NHTSA complaint #11425379 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My 2019 Chevrolet Bolt Premier has the battery made in Korea that is part of the current investigation Chevrolet is doing, announced yesterday July 14, 2021. This is the announcement from Chevrolet: JULY 14 2021 IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM GENERAL MOTORS General Motors has been notified of two recent Chevrolet Bolt EV fire incidents in vehicles that were remedied as part of the safety recall announced in November 2020. Out of an abundance of caution, we are asking owners of 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVs who were part of the recall population to park their vehicles outdoors immediately after charging and not leave their vehicles charging overnight while we investigate these incidents. This has been a known problem for several months, since November 2020, as noted in Chevrolet's announcement above. I limited my charging to 90% the minute the news broke about the possibility of a battery fire. I have had "the remedy" done to my car, which is all that one can do at this point. live in a condo building in a busy downtown setting and my only parking spot is two levels underground. It is both unsafe and very costly/inconvenient for me to have to park on the street at meters while waiting to hear ANYTHING from Chevy regarding next steps. I want to get my situation on your radar, as I am sure many other Bolt owners do. I want to stop worrying about the potential of a fire that would kill or maim any person or living creature, destroy any property, especially my home, my neighbors' homes, cars, etc. HELP!

NHTSA complaint #11425025 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.