2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Powertrain (other) Problems

While slowing to a stop, the vehicle suddenly experienced multiple (3–4) violent jerks. The vehicle fought against my firm brake pedal application, overpowered the brakes, and accelerated uncontrollably, resulting in a crash. During the impact: • The driver frontal airbag and pretensioners deployed. • The driver seatbelt unlatched mid-impact and then locked/retracted in a way that prevented it from latching again, even while I was sitting in the driver’s seat post-crash. I have only been provided with the limited Airbag Control Module (SDM) data, which shows the brake switch as “Off” and low accelerator pedal readings. This data does not match the events I experienced. I have formally requested full downloads from all other modules (Powertrain/PCM, ABS/EBCM, BCM, etc.) from both the insurance company (ESIS) and GM, but they have only provided the single SDM report. This appears to be a sudden unintended acceleration event combined with a brake override failure and seatbelt restraint system malfunction.

NHTSA ID

11743575

Incident

Jan 8, 2026

I started losing Regen braking intermittently, when this happens the brakes themselves don't work well and there's no warning, you lift of the pedal expecting the car to stop and its rolling freely, to push brake and its not stopping like you expect, then it thuds and lunges forward a bit and stops. It was rarely happening, now the car can barely be driven. I have not got it into a shop yet. It throws DTC P182B, P182D, P1840, and U0401 every time. Clearing them, even while still moving brings it all back to normal, except an image of my previous drive will be frozen on infotainment that I have to hard reset to get it to work. Also backup camera does now work when these codes are active. I have found 1 person online that is having this exact issue. It's terrifying to approach a stop light and used to 1 pedal driving and I'm rolling freely instead. the first incident of it was 03/05/26 and has progressively worsened. My code scanner keeps records of when I clear the codes,

NHTSA ID

11732285

Incident

Mar 5, 2026

Vehicle started to surge while driving (both small acceleration forward and large deceleration) without any change in brake or accelerator position. Eventually a "Propulsion Power Reduced" message was presented on the console followed immediately by no forward propulsion (accelerator completely unresponsive) and forced to coast to a stop on the side of the highway. Car refused to shift out of park or neutral following breakdown. Car taken to dealer to troubleshoot and was told that a P0A3F code was present and that the engine harness needed to be replaced in accordance with NHTSA bulletin 19-NA-220. This bulletin calls out that the harness was likely damaged during initial install at factory and the dealer representative confirmed that the pins were damaged as described. Car was given back to drive home after harness was checked (owner decided to explore options before scheduling repair), but broke down due to surging and complete loss of power within 2 miles of dealer. Troubleshooting to confirm harness damage is suspected to have worsen the condition and made un-commanded accel/deceleration followed by complete loss of power likely. Uncertain why this condition would be exempt from recall if OEM is aware of installation issues at factory. Driving with this condition was as bad or worse than other type model loss of power conditions that have been recalled. Recommend at least clarifying that cars confirmed to fall under this bulletin and associated inspection should not be deemed roadworthy until a repair is made.

NHTSA ID

11706654

Incident

Dec 22, 2025

My wife of [XXX] and grandson were driving our Chevrolet Bolt, crossing a busy 4 lane highway when suddenly and w/o any prior warning, the Bolt lost propulsion. Caught blocking 2 of those lanes, she was fortunate that men stopped their trucks and pushed her car up hill and into a church parking lot. She called me and I tried resetting everything to factory settings, and the Bolt seemed okay-for a short time. I hooked a diagnostic unit to the car and found an error code that indicated either the failure of the pre-charge resistor or the HV contactor-both in the battery pack. This was a pack replaced by the dealership back when Bolts were randomly catching fire and destroying themselves and nearby property. Now these packs are failing again and there are service bulletins addressing this fact and that it is common in 2017 and 2018 Bolts. GM however has not sent out warnings to its unfortunate customers warning them of this common failure and life- threatening problem. Luckily today I'm dealing with the Bolts warranty rather than two funerals. All of that took place on 11/22/25. In the hour following the first failure, this situation repeated itself 4 more times. The last time there was no restarting it, or the car would shake if put into drive or reverse. As it was Saturday we had to wait until today 11/24/25 to get it towed to the dealership for $140. This failure will require dropping the battery pack and running three tests, then replacement of the faulty components. This should be under warranty according to our and the dealerships records, but this issue need to hit the national news and all Bolt owners should be sent letters warning of sudden and unpredictable failures. This was life threatening for us and will be for many others. Imagine this happening at interstate speeds in heavy traffic. Lives will be lost. This is the second and more dangerous failure for these horrible vehicles, and GM should at this point replace these or refund every owner. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATI

NHTSA ID

11701262

Incident

Nov 22, 2025

While at a remote location, I unlocked and entered the vehicle normally. When I tried to start the vehicle, numerous unrelated error messages appeared on-screen. The instrument panel was energized, but the vehicle could only shift into neutral and park. Power steering was lost, as was window functionality. The vehicle could not be fully started, nor could not it be fully shut off either. It was stuck in a peculiar, unsafe, and unresolvable state of energized limbo. AAA towed the car to Watson Chevrolet who determined that the 12v system (vs propulsion) battery malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. There is no information in the owner’s manual about this issue. The tow truck mechanic had no clue what was wrong. Fortunately, we were in a safe location. But under different circumstances, such as being roadside, this could have been a very unsafe situation. This is the original battery. The car was recently serviced and there was no indication the battery was failing. This problem was only an annoyance for us, but it could have been much much worse under less favorable circumstances.

NHTSA ID

11608511

Incident

Aug 14, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle suddenly lunged forward. The contact pumped the brake pedal several times, but the vehicle continued to drive forward. The contact was able to avoid crashing into an apartment building. The vehicle went airborne for 30 feet and landed on the street causing the tires to blowout, and two of the rims to be cracked. The contact’s wife suffered a head injury and sought medical attention. No police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the case would be escalated. The failure mileage was 72,000.

NHTSA ID

11494593

Incident

Sep 12, 2022

Mileage

72,000 mi

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that the propulsion system warning light illuminated. While the contact was driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled and stopped inadvertently. The contact was able to get the vehicle safely to her residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission harness failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 51,000.

NHTSA ID

11475733

Incident

Jul 17, 2022

Mileage

51,000 mi

Creaking/popping noise from passenger rear side of vehicle at 24,574 miles along with a grinding noise coming from the front driver side wheel. Took to dealership twice and was told there is not a rear axle just independent struts and shocks. Very concerning and not sure if a wheel is gonna fall off. I've seen other forums that have been having the same issue between the years 2017-2019. Please recall and fix because consumers shouldn't shell out more money for cheap parts.

NHTSA ID

11455342

Incident

Nov 19, 2021

I stopped for a DC fast charge at an Electrify America station to ensure that my vehicle's battery level would stay over "70 miles of charge" to reduce fire risk (per GM recommendation). The vehicle has been programmed to remain at or below a 90% charge limit. After charging for 25 minutes, I unplugged the CCS1 connector from the Bolt by pressing the connector release button and pulling gently. To my surprise, the connector unlatched and disconnected immediately while charging at roughly 35,000 watts (>80 amps, 400 volts) and both the connector and my car's charging port began emitting a strong sulfur odor. The connector is supposed to have a high-voltage safety interlock that prevents either side from being moved while current is flowing. I have seen this interlock technology on many different chargers (CCS, CHAdeMO, Tesla) and have never seen it fail. After the incident, I inspected and photographed the charging port and charging station connector and found both sides seriously burned, melted and damaged. The connectors suffered oxidation, discoloration, and other metallic contamination/damage. The vehicle's inlet port contacts are blue/orange/black, not silver, and sections of metal appear to be melted away. The charger side connector contacts are discolored and have similar erosive/melting damage. The damage appears to be identical to arc flash plasma erosion. Prior to this incident, I regularly inspected the DC fast charge port and found it to be in good condition with a functioning seal, orange cover flap, clean silver pins and no damage. Before plugging in, I had inspected the charge station connector and could not see anything wrong with it. The charge connector serial number was entirely worn off. At this point, I do not feel comfortable fast charging my Bolt EV out of concern that the inlet port may overheat and catch fire. The inlet port needs to be replaced and the charging station connector needs to be replaced (and the interlock issue resolved).

NHTSA ID

11432086

Incident

Sep 7, 2021

The check engine light came on in my vehicle and limited the speed at which I could drive resulting in the car dealership is refusing to honor the warranty on my vehicle. The manual and all information from General Motors explicitly states the components which are covered under warranty. There is a NHTSA service bulletin regarding this exact problem (NHTSA 18-NA-064) along with the labor code for doing repairs under warranty. The warranty is for the first 100,000 miles or 8 years (2025), my vehicle currently has 49906 miles. The reason I was given is that software is not usually covered under warranty but there is no documentation stating that is the case. I was told that this vehicle may have this problem just due to operating it and there is no recourse for me other than to pay to have it fixed. If this is true the vehicle is unsafe to be driven in traffic.

NHTSA ID

11431736

Incident

Aug 30, 2021

The battery may be faulty and burst on fire. This was recall last year and this year and the remedie didn’t work. 2 more fires where confirm after the final remedy

NHTSA ID

11427490

Incident

Aug 2, 2021

I am extremely concerned about the battery fire recall for my 2017 Chevy bolt. I live in a townhome, with the garage on the first floor. The only place I can charge the car and park is in the garage on the first floor. And the only way to escape the building is by walking past the garage. So, the risk of a major car fire in the garage is very life threatening to me and my family! I am disappointed about how Chevy has handled this defect. I realize mistakes happen, but I think chevy could have taken more steps to ensure the safety of their customers, and not leave them with a broken car that has lost value due to the perception that it is unsafe. Chevy originally identified this defect Nov. of 2020. They shipped a temporary fix, limiting the range to 90%, decreasing the utility of the car, and didn't ship a "real" fix until around June 2021. We have learned that both the temporary and "real" fix were not effective, and cars have caught on fire with both fixes. Now we are told we won't even be informed about the next "fix" until September! A few things aggravate me: * This is getting to be almost a full years time since a known defect appeared before an effective fix was provided. Unsafe cars have been driving around for about a year! * Chevy has not informed owners the root cause of the issue beyond "a manufacturing defect". How are we supposed to have confidence that the next "fix" actually fixes the problem? We deserve to know what the problem was, and be given proof that the recall actually addresses it. * On the new recommendations, the car now has 50% the range and can't be charged inside. This makes it unusable for many, including me. Why isn't chevy explicitly providing help to their customers, such as rentals, buybacks, etc? How is it legal to cripple my car with no compensation? My perception is that chevy is drawing out this recall so they can to save money, and leaving its customers with a broken car and taking on risks to their safety.

NHTSA ID

11427087

Incident

Jul 29, 2021

My high voltage battery is likely to catch fire some time after charging the vehicle. Chevy has told me not to use my full battery as they advertised and I cannot park my vehicle in my garage. This is unacceptable and I am not able to use the car as originally advertised.

NHTSA ID

11427056

Incident

Jul 29, 2021

The issue with the current recall is that it is impossible for those with long commutes to adhere to the not charging overnight and not going below 70 miles of range. While I do not expect any battery failure I would like to be sure that the vehicle will be replaced by GM if the vehicle were to be damaged by the battery even though I am not following the recommended actions due to needing to use more of the range than is recommended at this time.

NHTSA ID

11426985

Incident

Jul 29, 2021

I purchased this car (Chevy Bolt EV) under the assumption that I could simply charge overnight and have the car ready for the next day. Chevy has come out with multiple supposed fixes yet still has fires. I have a newborn at home and can basically no longer charge the car at home since I feel I would be putting my family at risk. Chevy now says we can only use the fraction of the battery charge safely. This is simply unacceptable and I am doubtful Chevy actually knows the root cause of the issue.

NHTSA ID

11426914

Incident

Jul 28, 2021

Battery pack is failed and needs replacing, attempts have already been made to no avail. We should have our batteries replaced at no expense along with loaner provided until completed. Than you

NHTSA ID

11426318

Incident

Jul 24, 2021

I own a 2017 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 June. 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 today 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. As you can imagine, I no longer trust GM to be able to successfully identify whether or not my battery is defective. This is a serious safety issue. Myself, my livelihood and even people I park next to while out in public are at risk. GM must be forced to replace the entire battery pack in every vehicle affected by this recall. They must also provide loaner vehicles, or details on reimbursement for rental cars, to those who need them due to the fact that their vehicle is virtually unusable while they clean up their mess.

NHTSA ID

11426220

Incident

Jul 23, 2021

I've had to deal with the high voltage battery fire recalls multiple times on my vehicle. I rely on this beautiful to drive everywhere with my family and I don't feel confident in the safety of this vehicle anymore. The only way I will feel confident in the safety of this vehicle is if the entire battery pack is replaced, not individual modules. The other more sensible and cost efficient thing to do would be to buy back the effect of vehicles and replace them with 2021 and 2022 models. GM has done this for some customers that were lucky, but it's been proven that this is indeed more cost efficient than trying to figure out logistics and training for employees, to troubleshoot and debug individual modules. Please strongly consider this. Thank you!

NHTSA ID

11426177

Incident

Jul 23, 2021

I had my Chevy dealer install the second software update and return my battery charging to 100%. There are now two reports of Bolt EV erupting in flame within a couple weeks of each other and both vehicles had the recommended second software installed. I'm reporting that the fix GM has come up with does not work and does not prevent the initial problem of battery fires when vehicle is left unattended. My safety and the safety of my family or other passengers are at risk of a fire starting for no reason and there's no solution offered by GM for this issue. Neighbors are put at risk just by the presence of this vehicle in my driveway. The general public at large are also put at risk if I was to leave the car in a public parking structure like an airport or downtown parking. Waiting on the NHTSA to do something about this to protect the safety of the public.

NHTSA ID

11425030

Incident

Jul 15, 2021

Parking button may not fully engage when pressed causing vehicle to roll forward in drive gear or while in reverse causing vehicle to collide. Vehicle will automatically go into park when driver door is opened, but button can take deep press to fully engage into park. If driver removes foot from brake petal before vehicle is in Park car moves.

NHTSA ID

11424895

Incident

Jul 6, 2021

HELLO. WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN DECEMBER 2020. WHEN I TRIED TO LIST THE VEHICLE ON THE TURO WE NOTICED THAT IT HAVE NHTSA CALL. WE USED TO VISIT CONNEL CHEVROLET IN COSTA MESA BY THEY DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. SO WE STILL HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU

NHTSA ID

11404073

Incident

Jan 6, 2021

THE DEALERSHIP PERFORMED UNAUTHORIZED SERVICE ON THE VEHICLE. IN CONTACT WITH THE MANUFACTURER(GM) THEY ARE IN WILLING TO REVERSE THE UNAUTHORIZED SOFTWARE UPDATE UNTIL A LONG TERM SOLUTION HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. I HAVE OPENED A CASE 1 WEEK IN ADVANCE AND NO RESOLUTION HAS BEEN COMMUNICATED ABOUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY OF RENDERING MY VEHICLE UNUSABLE.

NHTSA ID

11388285

Incident

Jan 13, 2021

Mileage

62,000 mi

TODAY I RECEIVED RECALL NOTIFICATION GM N202311730 ABOUT DEFECTIVE BATTERIES THAT CAN CAUSE A FIRE WHEN CHARGED TO 100%. GM'S SOLUTION IS TO CHANGE SOFTWARE TO LIMIT MY VEHICLE'S CHARGE TO 90%. THIS IS NOT A SOLUTION. IT IS A BAND AID. THE BATTERIES ARE DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. WHY SHOULD I SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS AND HAVE TO DEAL WITH REDUCED VEHICLE RANGE AND MORE FREQUENT CHARGING. IF THE BATTERIES ARE A FIRE HAZARD, THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH SAFE BATTERIES AT NO-COST TO THE OWNER.

NHTSA ID

11376229

Incident

Nov 24, 2020

I EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE 12-VOLT BATTERY. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER, STALLS, AND THEN IT LOOSES ALL FUNCTIONS - CANNOT BE EVEN SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL TO MOVE IT, CANNOT OPEN REAR DOORS. WE COULDN'T EVEN GET IN ON A TOW TRUCK.

NHTSA ID

11141635

Incident

Oct 20, 2018

Mileage

7,000 mi

ON 2018-07-26 AT APPROXIMATELY 2325H, VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT ~70MPH NORTHBOUND ON I-95, THE MAINE TURNPIKE. LOCATION WAS APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE NORTH OF EXIT-32 (BIDDEFORD, ME). ROAD CONDITIONS WERE GOOD, TEMPERATURES IN THE MID-70F, HUMID. THE OWNER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING, WITH HER HUSBAND IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. AT THE TIME LISTED, THE VEHICLE SOUNDED A WARNING CHIME, AND RAPIDLY LOST POWER FROM HIGHWAY SPEEDS (70 MI/HR). VEHICLE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SPEED, WAS IN CONTROL WITH BRAKES AND STEERING, EMERGENCY FLASHERS, AND LIGHTS OPERATING. VEHICLE DRIVER INFORMATION PANEL GAVE ERRATIC AND UNRELIABLE READINGS. ALTERNATELY, THE DISPLAY SHOWED: * WARNING ICON ON RIGHT HAND SIDE * MESSAGE "SHIFT INTO PARK" * RANGE DROPPED FROM ~75 MILES TO ZERO * BATTERY GAUGE WOULD INDICATE 5% BATTERY WITH A RANGE OF 70+ MILES * REGENERATIVE BATTERY ICON SHOWED A REGEN BRAKING LIMIT OF <30KW (INDICATING BATTERY FULL??) (PAGE 116 CHEVROLET BOLT USER MANUAL) AFTER STOPPING VEHICLE WAS UNRESPONSIVE TO MOST CONTROLS. * INTERMITTENT INABILITY TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK * WARNINGS TO GO INTO LOW-POWER MODE * WARNING THE "BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE" * WARNING FOR "HIGH VOLTAGE CHARGING SYSTEM"

NHTSA ID

11114062

Incident

Jul 26, 2018

Mileage

22,200 mi