2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Visibility Problems

Infotainment unit did not boot up. Had a communications error. No rear back up camera view when put car in to reverse.

NHTSA ID

11750167

Incident

Jul 13, 2026

Backup camera failed to turn on.

NHTSA ID

11743799

Incident

Jun 12, 2026

Front window cracked all the way across after using the defrost selection on the heating control. Saw a couple articles about it happening to others. Dealership said they know nothing about the issue.?

NHTSA ID

11509761

Incident

Feb 24, 2023

Since the car was new, the windshield wipers have had a software error that can disable the wipers in snowy weather. It is not unusual for one or the other wiper to stop working for no apparent reason in snowy conditions. If the passenger's side stops working, it isn't too bad, but if the driver's side wiper stops working, then it traps the other wiper below it, preventing both from working. Sometimes after several minutes, the passenger wiper will push the driver wiper up about 1/3 of the way up the windshield, at which point it will kick in once, then stop working again. Stopping and restarting the car generally will not help, but leaving it off overnight will usually reset the software and the wipers start working normally again. It seems like it is a software bug with detecting if the wipers are frozen/stuck, that incorrectly thinks that a wiper is stuck, even when it is not, and decides to disable the wiper. This has happened many, many times, I should have reported it years ago. I attached a couple of pictures from a dashcam video one of the times it happened, it's harder to see from pictures than the video, but in the first picture the bottom, passenger side wiper is down, and the second picture it is trying to move up, but is blocked by the top/driver side wiper. It may appear that the wiper is frozen and stuck, but it is not, and after several minutes the bottom wiper was able to move the disabled top wiper significantly up the windshield. Chevy needs a software update to ensure the wipers actually work properly, especially in bad weather conditions.

NHTSA ID

11495469

Incident

Mar 13, 2019

THE DRIVERS DOOR WINDOW HAS GOTTEN VERTICAL SCRATCHES ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE GLASS. DEALER SAID A WIRING HARNESS CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THEY FIXED IT UNDER WARRANTY. (I WOULDN'T COMPLAIN EXCEPT THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED TO MY OTHER 2018 BOLT)

NHTSA ID

11408492

Incident

Oct 21, 2020

Mileage

27,000 mi

IN THE SNOW, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON THE CAR STOP WORKING PROPERLY RANDOMLY.

NHTSA ID

11391022

Incident

Feb 1, 2021

Mileage

22,700 mi

ON 2/27/2019 WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK DURING A SIGNIFICANT SNOW EVENT, BOTH WIPERS STOPPED WORKING ON OUR CAR. THEY REMAINED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD AND WOULD NOT WIPE. THIS POSED A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD AS IT MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR HER TO SEE. ON 2/28/2019 I TOOK THE CAR TO BE REPAIRED AT THE CAR DEALERSHIP. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAULT WAS CAUSED BECAUSE THE WIPER MOTOR HAD BEEN "STRIPPED". I AM NOT SURE HOW MY WIFE, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR COULD HAVE CAUSED THE WIPER MOTOR TO GET STRIPPED. THE WIPERS WERE WORKING ONE MOMENT, AND THE NEXT THEY WERE NOT. THERE IS A KNOWN BULLETIN FOR THE WIPER MOTORS TO STOP WORKING IN COLD AMBIENT CONDITIONS, BUT THE DEALER IS REFUSING TO REPAIR THE CAR UNDER THIS BULLETIN.

NHTSA ID

11183102

Incident

Feb 27, 2019

Mileage

16,900 mi

1) SUNLIGHT REFLECTS OFF OF THE WHITE DASH ONTO THE WINDSHIELD AND BACK INTO THE DRIVER'S EYES. VISIBILITY IS IMPAIRED. THE EFFECT EXTENDS AS FAR AS THE SIDE MIRRORS AND THIS IN PARTICULAR NEARLY CAUSED ME TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER CAR WHICH I DID NOT SEE DUE TO THE TEMPORARY OPACITY OF THE GLASS. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT DATE OF THIS INCIDENT. I'M ONLY CLICKING ON THE CALENDAR BECAUSE THAT ACTION IS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT. I'M USING THE DATE THE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN. THE INCIDENT LIKELY HAPPENED THE DAY BEFORE. 2 )THERE IS ALSO AN ISSUE WITH SUNLIGHT REFLECTING OFF OF A SHINY CHROME BAR JUST ABOVE THE VIDEO SCREEN DIRECTLY INTO THE DRIVER'S EYES.

NHTSA ID

11016404

Incident

Jun 22, 2017

Mileage

5,000 mi

I HAVE A LIGHT GRAY INTERIOR TRIM PACKAGE AND THE GLARE FROM THE DASHBOARD IS EXTREME. THERE ARE TIMES, LIKE PULLING INTO MY OWN OR PUBLIC GARAGES, WHEN MY VISIBILITY IS REDUCED ALMOST COMPLETELY. ON THE OPEN ROAD THE PROBLEM IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT. TO MAINTAIN GOOD VISIBILITY I HAVE RESORTED TO WEARING POLARIZED SUNGLASSES AT ALL TIMES DURING DAYLIGHT DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11016338

Incident

Aug 19, 2017

Mileage

3,400 mi

THIE IS A NEW LEASED VEHICLE. ISSUE RELATES TO SEVERE FORWARD VISIBILITY IMPAIRMENT IN DAYLIGHT DUE TO DASHBOARD REFLECTION. MY CAR INTERIORS ARE LIGHT ASH GRAY-CERAMIC WHICH INCLUDE A LIGHT-GRAY COLORED DASHBOARD AND TRIMMING. I HAVE RELAYED THIS ISSUE TO THE DEALERSHIP (WESELOH CHEVROLET - SAN DIEGO CA) - BUT THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS TO PURCHASE A DARK-COLORED 3RD PARTY DASH-COVER. I AM CONCERNED 3RD PARTY DASH MAT COULD COMPROMISE OR OTHERWISE ADVERSELY AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE / DEPLOYMENT OF DASHBOARD AIR-BAGS DURING A COLLISION - THUS COMPROMISING THE SAFETY OF PASSENGERS. THE VISIBILITY IMPAIRMENT IS QUITE SEVERE DURING DAYLIGHT (SEE PHOTOS). THIS PRESENTES THE FOLLOWING POTENTIAL RISKS: - DANGER TO PEDESTRIANS - INCREASED RISK OF COLLISION & CAR/PROPERTY DAMAGE - FATIGUE IF DRIVING FOR PROLONGED TIMES - (IF USING 3RD PARTY DASH COVER) RISK OF MALFUNTIONING DASHBOARD SRS

NHTSA ID

11010083

Incident

Jul 7, 2017

Mileage

200 mi

REDUCED VISIBILITY THROUGH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE COMBINATION OF LOW WINDSHIELD ANGLE AND A LIGHT COLORED DASH REDUCES VISIBILITY THROUGH THE WIND SHIELD. THIS IS ESPECIALLY A PROBLEM WHEN GOING FROM LIGHT TO DARKER AREAS- INTO GARAGES, ALONG A STREET WITH TREES AND ALONG A CITY STREET AS BUILDING BLOCK SUNLIGHT.

NHTSA ID

11003704

Incident

Jun 12, 2017

DUE TO THE ANGLE OF THE WINDSHIELD, REFLECTION FROM THE LIGHT ASH GREY COLOR, CREATES A VERY VERY BRIGHT COLORED GLARE, WHICH REDUCES VISIBILITY IMMENSELY ON SUNNY DAYS. WITHOUT THE PROPER SUNGLASSES, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE PEDESTRIANS, OTHER CARS AND SIGNS. NOTE THE "SHADED" AND OR THE VENTS OF THE DASH AND HOW MUCH DARKER AND LESS REFLECTIVE THEY ARE IN THE ATTACHED PHOTO. ( IE, ABOVE THE TRANSPONDER WHERE IT IS SHADED) I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DARK COLOR DASH DOES NOT CREATE THIS DANGEROUS REFLECTION AND SOME OWNERS HAVE REPLACED THE DASH AT THEIR OWN COST. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND THE LIGHT COLOR DASH, TRIM, ETC, SHOULD BE REPLACED AT COMPANY EXPENSE. THIS IS A NEW MODEL AND IT WOULD BE BETTER NOW THAN LATER, BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT, OR WORSE, KILLED!

NHTSA ID

10991439

Incident

May 11, 2017

Mileage

40 mi