2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV recalls and problems

The 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV has 6 safety recalls and 179 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Chevrolet dealer.

Urgent: recall 21V-560, recall 20V-701 carry a "park outside" warning. Contact a dealer before driving.
Recalls
6
Complaints
179
Crashes / fires
2 / 10
Injuries / deaths
5 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV recalls

Recall 23V-845: Seat Belts, Structure

Reported Dec 14, 2023 · 6,771 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.

Fix: 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. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2024. These vehicles were previously recalled for this same issue under recall number 22V-930 and will need to have the new remedy performed. Owners may contact GM EV Concierge at 1-833-EVCHEVY (1-833-382-4389) (TTY 711 / 1-800-833-2438) or Customer Service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232421970.

Recall 22V-930: Seat Belts, Structure

Reported Dec 15, 2022 · 111,242 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: A vehicle fire can increase the risk of injury.

Fix: Dealers will install metal foil at the carpet near the pretensioner exhaust, and install a pretensioner cover as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed between January 23, 2023 and April 25, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N222383790.

Recall 21V-560: Electrical System

Park outsideReported Jul 23, 2021 · 57,414 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.

Fix: 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 their vehicle more frequently, avoid depleting the battery to 70 miles range remaining, park outside after charging, and do not charge the vehicle indoors overnight. Defective battery modules will be replaced by GM, free of charge. Interim notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N212343880.

Recall 20V-701: Electrical System

Park outsideReported Nov 13, 2020 · 50,932 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: 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.

Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.

Fix: 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. GM will notify owners, and as an interim repair, beginning on November 17, 2020, dealers will reprogram the hybrid propulsion control module 2 (HPCM2) to limit the full charge to 90%, free of charge. Owners are advised to 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%, or park outside, until the software update is completed. Owners were notified of the interim repair beginning November 17, 2020. The second notice was mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N202311730.

Recall 20V-184: Latches/Locks/Linkages

Reported Mar 26, 2020 · 897 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: 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. Additionally, it may cause the rear inside door handle to not work.

Risk: If the rear door opens while driving, or the door handle fails to open the rear door, there is an increased risk of injury to the rear passengers.

Fix: 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. GM's number for this recall is A202298320.

Recall 18V-576: Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Reported Aug 30, 2018 · 210,628 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: 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. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Electrical System85
Steering47
Fuel/Propulsion System44
Unknown or Other21
Power Train13
Forward Collision Avoidance6
Service Brakes5
Visibility/Wiper4
Air Bags3
Lane Departure3
Seat Belts3
Suspension2

Most reported parts

  • Forward Collision Avoidance › Warnings — 4
  • Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery — 3
  • Lane Departure › Blind Spot Detection — 3
  • Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking — 2
  • Back Over Prevention › Warnings — 1
  • Equipment › Electrical › Infotainment — 1
  • Electrical System › Propulsion System › Charging › Cable/Cord › Onboard — 1
  • Back Over Prevention › Rearview System Braking — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 10,230 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Steering · reported Oct 29, 2026
When driving the car and turning the wheel, the steering wheel does not go back to center by itself. I have to physically turn it back to straight. This is a safety risk as the car isn't straightening out of a turn and physically harder to get back to center and center of the lane. I took it back to the dealership I purchased and their service team is saying they don't notice an issue, which is untrue, it's clearly seen when driving.
Service Brakes · reported Sep 21, 2026
I am reporting a recurring safety defect with our 2019 Chevrolet Bolt (~80,000 miles). On multiple occasions the left front wheel has overheated severely while driving, accompanied by a rapid, severe side-to-side steering wheel wobble and a burning smell. On XXX after ~35 miles of driving (10+ miles at 50-63 mph), the steering wheel began shaking. We had to pull over and drive slowly along the shoulder, stopping twice to let the wheel cool. The left front wheel measured 627.9°F, while other wheels were under 200°F. On XXX, only three days after replacing the front brake pads and rotors, the…
Unknown or Other · reported Sep 17, 2026
A rear passenger side door handle/latch stopped working. The door cannot be opened from the inside, only from the outside. It’s a safety issue and it has affected other 2019-2020 Bolts which resulted in their recall. Why not this one?
Steering · reported Jun 13, 2026
Steering wheel does not return to center after making a turn. Over time the steering rack fails leading to a steering wheel that will not return to center even when force is applied to wheel. The dealership is charging $3-4k to fix this safety issue.
Service Brakes · reported May 18, 2026
when driving my car from the airport at Bradley International in CT (parked for a week), I experienced a terrible vibration in the steering wheel which has been intermittent. The vibration went away at lower speeds. I brought the car in to the shop on 5/18/2026 with 74,000 miles on the car. They told me I had to replace rotors, brakes, calipers, brake fluid, and do a front end alignment because the rotors have failed internally. The EV doe not use braking as frequently and this was taken from the Chevy forum: ISSUE: Frozen or Seized Calipers The Issue: Because Bolt drivers heavily rely on…

Other Chevrolet Bolt EV years

Compare all Chevrolet Bolt EV years · All Chevrolet models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV: 23V-845 (seat belts, structure), 22V-930 (seat belts, structure), 21V-560 (electrical system), 20V-701 (electrical system), 20V-184 (latches/locks/linkages) and more. Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV?

Owners report electrical system problems most often (85 reports), followed by steering (47). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 10,230 miles.

Are Chevrolet recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Chevrolet dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.