2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV Problems

General Motors is using the arbitrary 6,213-mile tracking window of Recall 944 to deny coverage for a diagnosed Cell Section 3 hardware failure at 123,582 miles. However, this vehicle is directly impacted by the failure parameters outlined in the expanded GM Safety Recall N242470160 / N242470162, where GM openly acknowledges to federal regulators that the advanced diagnostic software has failed to properly detect defective battery modules. By denying a physical battery replacement when a manufacturing defect is caught during a mandatory corporate software reconfiguration, GM is violating the spirit and legal intent of their ongoing federal safety recall campaigns.

When driving the car through a busy intersection there was a sudden, brief surge of acceleration, followed by deceleration and the vehicle cutting all motor power and becoming inoperable. The MIL lamp illuminated and the "Ready" light went out. I was unable to move the vehicle out of traffic until I got out and disconnected / reconnected the 12v battery to reset the car systems. The problem is difficult to reproduce, happening randomly, sometimes with multiple months between incidents. The incidents happen with no warning, and there are no other symptoms associated with the issue. The dealer mechanic indicated it is likely the issue indicated in Chevrolet TSB 19-NA-220, indicating the root cause is the resolver feedback connector on the electric drive unit damaged during vehicle assembly.

GM installed Advanced Monitoring Software on the car rather than replace the battery. The software detected a battery fault. Under the battery recall if a fault is detected the battery is replaced free of charge. GM is refusing to replace the battery. Now the car will not move.

General Motors is using the arbitrary 6,213-mile tracking window of Recall 944 to deny coverage for a diagnosed Cell Section 3 hardware failure at 123,582 miles. However, this vehicle is directly impacted by the failure parameters outlined in the expanded GM Safety Recall N242470160 / N242470162, where GM openly acknowledges to federal regulators that the advanced diagnostic software has failed to properly detect defective battery modules. By denying a physical battery replacement when a manufacturing defect is caught during a mandatory corporate software reconfiguration, GM is violating the spirit and legal intent of their ongoing federal safety recall campaigns.

Steering rack is starting to fail at under 47000 miles, car pulls to right during acceleration and pulls left when decelerating. Steering wheel does not return to the center and a slight left pull on the wheel has to be maintained at all times so the car doesn't merge right into traffic. It is available upon inspection request. I almost didn't realize it pulling to the right and almost merged into another car on the highway. It has not been confirmed yet by a third party. It has not been inspected yet. No warning lights or messages occured when it started happening.

Steering stiffened over several weeks. Then steering wheel would not automatically return to center while turning while driving. Diagnosed by service as a fault with steering column. This is apparently very common in Chevy Bolts.

Accelerating to merge onto the highway the accelerator pedal got stuck under the all weather mat (provided and installed by the manufacturer). When I took my foot off the pedal the vehicle continued to accelerate. I had to break against the force of the motor trying to accelerate until I was going slow enough for the car to allow me to put it into park.

HD surround camera system is faulty. Upon placing vehicle in drive mode, front view image disappears and is replaced by a pink colored screen. This fault occurs intermittently, and is an important safety issue.

When driving the car through a busy intersection there was a sudden, brief surge of acceleration, followed by deceleration and the vehicle cutting all motor power and becoming inoperable. The MIL lamp illuminated and the "Ready" light went out. I was unable to move the vehicle out of traffic until I got out and disconnected / reconnected the 12v battery to reset the car systems. The problem is difficult to reproduce, happening randomly, sometimes with multiple months between incidents. The incidents happen with no warning, and there are no other symptoms associated with the issue. The dealer mechanic indicated it is likely the issue indicated in Chevrolet TSB 19-NA-220, indicating the root cause is the resolver feedback connector on the electric drive unit damaged during vehicle assembly.

While waiting to turn left at a light and driving in "L" (one pedal) mode, I started to release the break in anticipation of oncoming lanes clearing, as I lifted the pedal the car lurched into the intersection. The Bolt normally accelerates very gently in L mode when no break is applied, but does not lurch forwards like this under normal conditions. The breaks did work, and I was able to stop, but I was now in the middle of the intersection and slightly encroaching into oncoming lanes. I tried to accelerate to pull through, but the car did not respond. After several second of frantically pushing the accelerator, the car slowly and jerkily moved forward and cleared the intersection. My Chevy dealer says this is a known problem with service bulletin "Chevrolet TSB 19-NA-220". In my opinion this is incredibly dangerous and should have been recalled. However, there is no recall that I can find and outrageously Chevy will not cover this manufacturing defect under warranty as they specifically exclude wiring harnesses due to past issues with rodent damage, and they are hiding behind that rule.

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.

This car several times while driving has shaken and then shifted into neutral. I have had to pull the car off to the side of the road during normal vehicle operation. The car will then not shift into drive. There is a warning sign "Conditions Not Correct For Shift." The first incident was March 2023. The vehicle was towed to a Chevrolet dealer and the power inverter module was replaced under warranty. This next occurred in December 2024. The vehicle was towed to a dealer again and reprogrammed. The cost was $400. The vehicle was fine for two months and about 1,000 miles when it happened again in March 2025. This time the dealer states that the engine harness needs to be replaced for about $1,500 (not covered under warranty). These incidents all occur while driving the vehicle (it has happened while approaching an intersection and once while going through an intersection).

None of my local dealers will service recalls on this vehicle. They either tell me that they only perform work on vehicles purchased at that dealership or they continually reschedule my appointment.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (Electric System) and 22V930000 (Structure, Seat Belts) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

I have a defective airbag--it stopped working out of nowhere in December 2023. I reported it to my Chevy dealership and they looked at it and said my whole safety restraint system is down. They said they have no airbags and can't fix it yet. Now it's April 2024 it's still not fixed and the dealership has not been actively working to get me a loaner or fix it.

Passenger air bag no longer functions. Passenger airbag shows as off when a passenger is in seat. Display shows that safety restrain system has an error. According to dealer, air bag system is disabled and requires the replacement of the passenger air bag. Air bags are on back order and dealer cannot provide timeline for repair.

After putting washer fluid in, my son closed the hood. The hood did not latch. He tried again but it still didn’t latch. He lifted the hood to find the hood striker had come off the hood. There was nothing to hold the hood closed. I’ve included photos of the striker welds. There is no rust or tearing of the welds. It just separated. It was a bad weld.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (Electric System) and 22V930000 (Structure, Seat Belts) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

This car has One Pedal Driving (OPD) which allows you to slow the car to a stop, without using the brake pedal. The car activates the brake lights, based on sensors in the car which sense the deceleration. In this mode, the brake lights are NOT activated by any pedal action by the driver, only by the vehicle's actual deceleration. This all works great EXCEPT the fact that once the car comes to a stop, the brake lights turn off. This is obviously a hazard for any stopped driver and there are anecdotal cases of rear end collisions caused by the lack of brake lights. This problem is fixed in later models of this car. I presume that this issue could be fixed by a simple software update.

In all models before 2022, the brake lights shut off while at a stop in one-pedal driving mode. This is a major safety concern that can be fixed entirely in software.

Right brake caliper sticking intermittently, causing massive vibration in steering wheel and a caliper too hot to touch. In doing research on the Chevy Bolt forum, there were many people talking about this issue. In fact, GM issued a TSB about this issue, but when I entered my VIN in the GM site, it said that my VIN as not impacted; however, it was! I suggest that the NTSB do a further investigation to include all VINs affected with this issue. I had to spend several hundred dollars for a repair shop to replace the right brake caliper. Since the repairs were completed, I've had no issues whatsoever. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while at a complete stop with the L(Low) mode activated, the brake lights failed to illuminate. The failure caused a crash for other vehicles that were coming from behind; however, the contact's vehicle was not impacted by the crash. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,400.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the message "Propulsion Power Reduced - Service Soon" was displayed, and check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon investigation, it was discovered that the power output was limited. Despite the failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The contact was then informed that the battery replacement was on an indefinite backorder. The contact was not provided an estimate for when the battery would become available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 25,100.

"TTIRS DONT SELF SEAL" I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO A DEFECT IN WORKMANSHIP OF THE SELF SEAL TIRES. I QUOTED THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH ON SELF SEALING TIRES FROM THE MICHELIN OE WARRANTY MANUAL. MICHELIN TIRES WITH THE SELF-SEAL LOGO ARE COVERED UNDER THIS WARRANTY. THESE TIRES ARE DESIGNED TO SEAL IN THE EVENT OF A PUNCTURE, AND HAVE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR REPAIR BY TIRE PROFESSIONALS AT MICHELIN AUTHORIZED DEALERS. THERE ARE TWO AREAS WHERE WE HAVE A PROBLEM. 1) IF THE TIRE FAILS TO SEAL ITSELF THEN IT IS NOT OPERATING AS DESIGNED AND THEREFORE HAS A DEFECT IN WORKMANSHIP. 2) THE WARRANTY SPECIFICALLY SAYS THEY CAN BE "REPAIRED" BY A MICHELIN AUTHORIZED DEALER. I CONTACTED 3 MICHELIN DEALERS AND ALL OF THEM SAID THEY DO NOT REPAIR SELF SEAL TIRES. THE FOURTH MICHELIN DEALER WAS COSTCO AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD REPAIR IT IN ERROR. THEY HAD NEVER SEEN A SELF SEAL TIRE BEFORE, NEVER RECEIVED ANY TRAINING FROM MICHELIN ON THE REPAIR OF SAID TIRES, AND WHEN PRESENTED WITH THE PRODUCT BULLETIN ON HOW TO REPAIR THE TIRES STILL REFUSED TO REPAIR IT. AFTER A LOT OF HAGGLING I WAS ABLE TO GET MICHELIN TO AGREE TO PAY 50% . I AM STILL WAITING ON THE EXACT AMOUNT OF THE REIMBURSEMENT AND SO THIS HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETELY RESOLVED AS YET. MY TOTAL OUT OF POCKET FOR 4 NEW NON SELF SEAL TIRES IS $870.01. I COULD HAVE SAVED ABOUT $40 BY NOT GETTING THE LIFETIME ROTATION/BALANCE/FLAT REPAIR. HTTPS://WWW.CHEVYBOLT.ORG/THREADS/TIRE-PUNCTURE-BAD-LUCK.35976/PAGE-2#POST-554598 MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF SELF SEAL NOT WORKING DEALERS REFUSE TO FIX.

Rear shock absorbers failed with only 8009 miles on vehicle

Steering sticks and does not return to center in sweeping turns. Clicking noise over bumps in very cold weather (may or may not be related--steering issue most concerning). Most prominent at higher speeds (for example, getting off of the highway) but occurs at any speed. Once you turn the wheel, it will return slightly then stick in place. It takes a small amount of extra force to correct it back towards center. During these occurrences it may continue to stick or may begin to act normally after the "correction." I would be alright with providing the vehicle for inspection and/or demonstration if requested. The first time this happened, I was driving along twisting roads in northern Michigan. The occurrence caught me off guard, and I traveled over the lines. Personally, I was not in danger but if there was no shoulder or more traffic I feel this issue has the chance at being very dangerous. I am now aware of the issue and can keep it in mind while driving, but I've also noticed recently that the small "jutt" from correcting the wheel could cause an issue on snow and ice. I have not had a dealership look at the vehicle, as it seems to be a very common complaint about the Chevy Bolt, with a new part number being sold for replacement steering racks. I am willing to have it confirmed if needbe. There are no warnings of this occurrence. If the conditions are right, there is a very high chance it occurs. It started roughly around the 60,000 mile mark, and has been getting slightly worse over the past year. My vehicle is now at 98,000 miles.

The backup/360 camera intermittently but frequently fails to turn on, showing a black screen instead with a crossed out camera icon. This makes it very difficult to back up safely and puts bystanders at risk. This problem has not yet been evaluated by a dealer, but there are numerous other reports of the issue online. There have been no other warning lights or issues.

On Monday,[XXX], I got in my car to go to work and the car messages on my dash stated "Propulsion Power is Reduced", "Service Vehicle Soon". I was able to drive to work but noticed the defrost/heater was not working. I called the local Chevrolet Dealer and scheduled an appt for Friday at 8:30am. This car had already had a recall performed earlier in 2023 that limited my car charging to 80% but never converted to allow full charging after 6200 miles. I drove home with no /defroster/heater and plugged in the car charger monday night. On tuesday morning ([XXX]), the car had not charged at all overnight. It was suppose to charge to 80% (approx 170 miles). When I drove home that evening, a torrential rainfall occurred. My windshield fogged up but since the defrost/heater wasn't working, I had to constantly wipe the windshield with a rag. I thankfully made it home after 6pm and now noticed the car charging was limited to 30%. This is why the car didn't charge on Monday night. The dealership was closed, so I called first thing Wednesday morning to tell the dealership that I needed to drop the car off today ([XXX]) because it was unsafe to drive and I might have to tow the car in because of the very limited charging allowed. They rescheduled the service appt for Thursday ([XXX]) at 8:30am. On Thursday, the repairs took 18 minutes to complete. I received a call from Jordan Ames at at the Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Dealership Thursday telling me the car was ready to be picked up.. He told me the car had a recall issues on 11/02/23 that needed to be performed. I told him I was never informed about "another" recall. He gave me the GM EV Concierge phone number to call. The invoice from him stated "Recall - N232421260 False DTC Causing Unnecessary Battery Pack Replacements 2023-11-02 9106882-0.4 hpcm2 reprogram WCC: CDYN198122734" . I called the GM EV Concierge at 1-833-382-4389 on Friday. I'm running out of characters. Bottom line- I think GM is lying to me. I need help!!!

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.