2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical2934.5%
- Fuel system1113.1%
- Powertrain (other)1011.9%
- Driver assistance89.5%
- Engine56.0%
- Brakes56.0%
- Steering44.8%
- Airbags33.6%
- Visibility22.4%
- Body & structure22.4%
- Exterior lighting22.4%
- Suspension11.2%
- Tires & wheels11.2%
- Seat belts11.2%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost automotive power, and the digital screen failed to display as intended. The Battery warning light was occasionally illuminated during rainy weather. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
I was driving 72 mph, and went to accelerate to 75 mph to set my cruise control. As soon as I stepped on the accelerator pedal, my 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV jerked violently and immediately applied braking to car to take it from 72 mph to about 30 mph within 1 second. Had someone been behind me I would have been rear ended. I was able to pull over to the shoulder of the road, and put my car into park. I was unable to turn off the vehicle or shift into any gears (reverse, neutral, drive). The car displayed a warning on dash "power drive train malfunction pull over safely". There was no warning for the sudden deceleration and is a serious safety risk and concern.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was driving on the highway above 60 mph, and I suddenly got a "propulsion power reduced" alert, along with a yellow indicator light. I almost immediately thereafter got a message saying "speed reduced to 50 mph" and then "speed reduced to 30 mph." I got no acceleration when I depressed the accelerator pedal. In fact, it felt like the car had engaged the regenerative braking to actively slow me down. This is a life-threatening safety flaw, as it was difficult to get to the breakdown lane. The only reason there was no collision was that there was relatively light traffic. I managed to get to a breakdown lane and then, after restarting the car, to get off the highway and into a parking lot, where I called for a tow. The car was towed to the dealer I bought it from and, the next day, they inspected the car and determined that the auxiliary transmission fluid pump had failed and needed to be replaced. I've seen many reports on reddit that this part fails on chevy bolts. What makes this truly unsafe is that there was no warning whatsoever that something was wrong. Everything seemed fine (after I got a new battery under the big bolt battery recall) until the car suddenly cut power and slowed me down in the middle of the highway. This car needs to be recalled again.
I am filing this complaint regarding my 2022 Chevrolet Bolt, which has been awaiting battery replacement at McCluskey Chevrolet for over 30 days, creating significant safety concerns and violating federal warranty requirements. Safety Concerns: The vehicle's safety systems detected a battery defect serious enough to automatically restrict functionality. This demonstrates GM recognized an immediate safety risk. Despite this urgency, my vehicle remains inoperable after 30 days with no completion date provided. This delay indicates systemic failures in GM's remedy program for known battery defects. GM has known about this issue for years and has yet to source replacement batteries within a reasonable timeframe for drivers awaiting a replacement. Federal Law Violations: This situation violates the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which requires warranty repairs be completed within a reasonable time period. Thirty days for a safety-critical component replacement, particularly after the vehicle self-diagnosed a dangerous condition, exceeds any reasonable standard. Requested NHTSA Actions: Investigate GM's compliance with recall remedy requirements and parts availability Assess whether GM's battery replacement program meets federal safety standards Determine if GM is violating the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act through excessive repair delays Consider enforcement action to ensure timely remediation of safety defects Require GM to provide loaner vehicles during extended safety-related repairs Documentation Available: I request NHTSA's immediate intervention to address both the individual and systematic failures of GM in handling these repairs.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving at a low speed (approx. 5–10 mph), the front passenger-side lower ball joint suffered a catastrophic structural shear without warning. This caused the wheel assembly to collapse outward and the CV axle to pull out of the transmission. The failure caused a complete loss of steering control, veering the vehicle into a curb. Physical evidence (outward axle pull and high-side rim scratches) indicates the mechanical failure preceded the impact. This occurred at only 38,155 miles on a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. Outward Dislocation: Photos show the CV axle pulled OUT of the transmission and the wheel leaning OUT (positive camber). A curb impact would push these components IN. This proves the wheel fell away from the car first. Pre-Impact Grinding: The interior barrel of the rim and the brake dust shield show heavy rotational grinding and metal-on-metal scoring. This confirms the suspension collapsed while the wheel was still spinning at speed, prior to the car coming to a stop. Structural Shear: The lower ball joint stud suffered a complete transverse shear. High-resolution photos of the broken stud face show distinct "beach marks" (concentric rings), which are the physical fingerprint of a slow-growing metal fatigue crack rather than a sudden impact fracture. Rim Damage Profile: Deep gouges are located on the flat face of the wheel spokes rather than the outer lip. This confirms the wheel was already at an extreme tilt (collapsed) when it made contact with the curb. CONCLUSION: The vehicle was maintained and driven under normal conditions. This was a spontaneous, catastrophic structural failure of a safety-critical component. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this as a potential manufacturing defect for the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV.
I was driving on the highway above 60 mph, and I suddenly got a "propulsion power reduced" alert, along with a yellow indicator light. I almost immediately thereafter got a message saying "speed reduced to 50 mph" and then "speed reduced to 30 mph." I got no acceleration when I depressed the accelerator pedal. In fact, it felt like the car had engaged the regenerative braking to actively slow me down. This is a life-threatening safety flaw, as it was difficult to get to the breakdown lane. The only reason there was no collision was that there was relatively light traffic. I managed to get to a breakdown lane and then, after restarting the car, to get off the highway and into a parking lot, where I called for a tow. The car was towed to the dealer I bought it from and, the next day, they inspected the car and determined that the auxiliary transmission fluid pump had failed and needed to be replaced. I've seen many reports on reddit that this part fails on chevy bolts. What makes this truly unsafe is that there was no warning whatsoever that something was wrong. Everything seemed fine (after I got a new battery under the big bolt battery recall) until the car suddenly cut power and slowed me down in the middle of the highway. This car needs to be recalled again.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was driving on the highway above 60 mph, and I suddenly got a "propulsion power reduced" alert, along with a yellow indicator light. I almost immediately thereafter got a message saying "speed reduced to 50 mph" and then "speed reduced to 30 mph." I got no acceleration when I depressed the accelerator pedal. In fact, it felt like the car had engaged the regenerative braking to actively slow me down. This is a life-threatening safety flaw, as it was difficult to get to the breakdown lane. The only reason there was no collision was that there was relatively light traffic. I managed to get to a breakdown lane and then, after restarting the car, to get off the highway and into a parking lot, where I called for a tow. The car was towed to the dealer I bought it from and, the next day, they inspected the car and determined that the auxiliary transmission fluid pump had failed and needed to be replaced. I've seen many reports on reddit that this part fails on chevy bolts. What makes this truly unsafe is that there was no warning whatsoever that something was wrong. Everything seemed fine (after I got a new battery under the big bolt battery recall) until the car suddenly cut power and slowed me down in the middle of the highway. This car needs to be recalled again.
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while in the process of parking the vehicle on the side of a street, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, and the front end of the vehicle crashed into an unoccupied parked vehicle, which crashed into a second occupied vehicle parked in front of it. No property damage was reported. The vehicle came to a stop upon impact. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle did not need to be towed. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was not filed. The first vehicle the contact's vehicle had crashed into was totaled due to front and rear end damages. The occupant of the second vehicle confirmed that the vehicle was not damaged, and there was no injury sustained. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed, but the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer had sent engineers who were in the process of diagnosing the vehicle at the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
Vehicle stopped while driving down the road lost power threw up multiple codes and was stuck in the middle of the roadway!
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while pulling out of a parking lot, the vehicle stalled, failed to shift into gear and would not turn off. A towing agent disconnected the battery and the vehicle turned off. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the service disconnect fuse had blown. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the engine control module (ECM) was replaced, however, the failure reoccurred upon starting the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened; however, the manufacturer had not followed up or returned the contact's calls. The failure mileage was approximately 6,612.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was driving 72 mph, and went to accelerate to 75 mph to set my cruise control. As soon as I stepped on the accelerator pedal, my 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV jerked violently and immediately applied braking to car to take it from 72 mph to about 30 mph within 1 second. Had someone been behind me I would have been rear ended. I was able to pull over to the shoulder of the road, and put my car into park. I was unable to turn off the vehicle or shift into any gears (reverse, neutral, drive). The car displayed a warning on dash "power drive train malfunction pull over safely". There was no warning for the sudden deceleration and is a serious safety risk and concern.
About 1 month ago I picked up my daughter from school. Just as we exited the parking lot, there was nothing in front and the brakes came on and the car turned off and would not restart for a few minutes. The same day, we were on the way home I was traveling about 35mph. All of a sudden the brakes came on again. This time there was nothing in front but many cars behind, so I floored the accelerator the car tires screeched. I was less than a mile from home and made it without incident. The dealership is unable to reproduce or review the logs because the vehicle stopped logging everything since December 4th. The car is in my driveway and I don't trust it can safely be driven. The dealership is not helpful by telling me to just monitor the situation and bring it in if it happens again. I am seeing on the internet that there are many people experiencing this exact problem.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
Steering rack started to fail after only 15000 miles
While driving at a low speed (approx. 5–10 mph), the front passenger-side lower ball joint suffered a catastrophic structural shear without warning. This caused the wheel assembly to collapse outward and the CV axle to pull out of the transmission. The failure caused a complete loss of steering control, veering the vehicle into a curb. Physical evidence (outward axle pull and high-side rim scratches) indicates the mechanical failure preceded the impact. This occurred at only 38,155 miles on a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. Outward Dislocation: Photos show the CV axle pulled OUT of the transmission and the wheel leaning OUT (positive camber). A curb impact would push these components IN. This proves the wheel fell away from the car first. Pre-Impact Grinding: The interior barrel of the rim and the brake dust shield show heavy rotational grinding and metal-on-metal scoring. This confirms the suspension collapsed while the wheel was still spinning at speed, prior to the car coming to a stop. Structural Shear: The lower ball joint stud suffered a complete transverse shear. High-resolution photos of the broken stud face show distinct "beach marks" (concentric rings), which are the physical fingerprint of a slow-growing metal fatigue crack rather than a sudden impact fracture. Rim Damage Profile: Deep gouges are located on the flat face of the wheel spokes rather than the outer lip. This confirms the wheel was already at an extreme tilt (collapsed) when it made contact with the curb. CONCLUSION: The vehicle was maintained and driven under normal conditions. This was a spontaneous, catastrophic structural failure of a safety-critical component. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this as a potential manufacturing defect for the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was was traveling at 68 mph, then rear ended and pushed into the center divide. The entire front drivers tire + assembly was destroyed. The airbags didn't deploy. The cab did fill with a white 'smoke'. A little bit later I received a message from the Chevy app that there was a problem with my airbags and I should seek service. My insurance has deemed the car a total loss and picked up the car and taken it to their lot for inspection. I don't know the status of this and the incident has not been reported to the manufacturer/dealer.
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V567000 (Air Bags, Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
When I use the windshield washer fluid some of the vapors gets in the cabin. The fluid contains methanol and it is highly toxic.
Back tailgate glass exploded in my garage for no apparent reason. It just shattered. While the car was parked in my garage. I think this is a major issue that need to be addressed, call the dealership and they won’t assume responsibility in this matter. This is a safety concern.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (Electrical System) and 22V930000 (Structure, Seat Belts) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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.
Car electrical system is very glitchy at times worse when it rains. Side mirror falls off if road debris hits outside of assembly. Timeline to replace battery taking too long. Car was sent to dealership ahead of schedule and sold with known battery issue.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
The car was changed for 2022 where the brake lights are no longed displayed with the tail lights and instead lower down in the bumper area on small lights. Cars following me do not notice these lights and end up almost hitting me. The dealer states that this is how GM has changed the lights from the prier year. Last year they would only go to the lower light if the tail gate was open for some reason. Which I thing is a good design but the way my car is now is very dangerous and is an acident waiting to happen.
Car electrical system is very glitchy at times worse when it rains. Side mirror falls off if road debris hits outside of assembly. Timeline to replace battery taking too long. Car was sent to dealership ahead of schedule and sold with known battery issue.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving at a low speed (approx. 5–10 mph), the front passenger-side lower ball joint suffered a catastrophic structural shear without warning. This caused the wheel assembly to collapse outward and the CV axle to pull out of the transmission. The failure caused a complete loss of steering control, veering the vehicle into a curb. Physical evidence (outward axle pull and high-side rim scratches) indicates the mechanical failure preceded the impact. This occurred at only 38,155 miles on a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. Outward Dislocation: Photos show the CV axle pulled OUT of the transmission and the wheel leaning OUT (positive camber). A curb impact would push these components IN. This proves the wheel fell away from the car first. Pre-Impact Grinding: The interior barrel of the rim and the brake dust shield show heavy rotational grinding and metal-on-metal scoring. This confirms the suspension collapsed while the wheel was still spinning at speed, prior to the car coming to a stop. Structural Shear: The lower ball joint stud suffered a complete transverse shear. High-resolution photos of the broken stud face show distinct "beach marks" (concentric rings), which are the physical fingerprint of a slow-growing metal fatigue crack rather than a sudden impact fracture. Rim Damage Profile: Deep gouges are located on the flat face of the wheel spokes rather than the outer lip. This confirms the wheel was already at an extreme tilt (collapsed) when it made contact with the curb. CONCLUSION: The vehicle was maintained and driven under normal conditions. This was a spontaneous, catastrophic structural failure of a safety-critical component. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this as a potential manufacturing defect for the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: Energy Saver A/S, Tire Size: 215/50/R17, And DOT Number: N/A. The contact stated that while driving over a pothole the front driver's side tire sidewall failed causing the tire to go flat. The contact stated upon inspecting the vehicle tires, he noticed a bubble on the rear driver's side tire. The vehicle taken to the local dealer who replaced the tire; however, while driving over a pothole, the replacement tire experienced a sidewall failure. The contact stated that the same tire sidewall had failed on three separate occasions. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The cause of the failure were not determined. The failure mileage was 5,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (Electrical System) and 22V930000 (Structure, Seat Belts) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .