2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV Owner Complaints

The vehicle suffers from severe, unresolvable electrical failures causing recurring loss of propulsion, shifting lockouts ("No Driving Conditions" / stuck in Park), complete exterior lighting failures, and loss of communication with the Restraints Control Module (RCM) and airbag impact sensors. The primary failure involves short circuits, open circuits, poor terminal contact, and thermal damage with melted, charred wiring and exposed copper in the main harness[cite: 6]. On May 25, 2026, OnStar telematics issued a critical red alert for the Regenerative Braking System[cite: 7]. All damaged components and diagnostic reports are available for inspection upon request[cite: 6, 7]. Safety risks include sudden loss of propulsion at highway speeds, total headlight and tail light loss during night driving, and potential non-deployment or malfunction of airbag restraint systems during a collision. The issues have been repeatedly reproduced and confirmed by an authorized dealership through 7 repair attempts between Sept 2024 and Apr 2025. Diagnostic steps included opening GM TAC Case 9-13634782861, consulting GM engineers, and testing 33 ground points. On Oct 28, 2024, the dealer and an insurance adjuster officially confirmed the failures are covered under GM warranty and unrelated to any accident[cite: 8]. Symptoms first appeared on Sept 10, 2024 (at 5,144 miles) with a "Waiting initialization to shift" message, blown Fuse 58, and loss of power to the ECM. Warning signs prior to subsequent failures included "Service Trans" warnings, "Reduced Propulsion" alerts, dim headlights, Check Engine Lights, SRS/Airbag warning lights, and total shifting lockouts after hitting road bumps. Despite replacing Fuse 58 (multiple times), Fuse 64, IP Fuse 7, the underhood fuse block, ECM connector terminals, headlamp assemblies, the RCM module, and multiple airbag impact sensors, the underlying electrical instability remains unresolved.

NHTSA ID

11754113

Incident

Sep 10, 2024

While driving a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt during a turn maneuver, one of the two bolts (nearest the driver) holding the lower control arm (to the vehicle on the front driver side) sheared completely. An inspection of the joint suggests a fatigue failure likely due to inadequate factory assembly clamping force (pretension). Because the joint lacked the required factory torque, the joint interface slipped under normal operational loads, shifting cyclic shear and bending forces directly onto the bolt threads and shank—loads the fastener was not designed to carry alone—resulting in a fatigue fracture. The sudden failure of a primary front suspension control arm fastener while the vehicle is in motion is a safety hazard. It causes steering instability and risks a loss of vehicle control. The problem was confirmed and repaired by an independent service center/mechanic who replaced the control arm sub-assembly. The sub-assembly has been retained and is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle and failed component have not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. There were no warning lamps, dashboard messages. We had noticed the tire was rubbing on the wheel well during certain maneuvers for months beforehand, but we thought the wheel well liner was sagging. In hindsight this was due to the control arm not being firmly held by the bolt. When the bolt sheared my wife reported hearing a loud pop, the vehicle was still drivable but unstable, as soon as we realized something was severely wrong we took it slowly to the nearest mechanic where they repaired the problem.

NHTSA ID

11747836

Incident

Jun 10, 2026

Steering rack failure, does not return to center most of the time. Every once in a while it will. Loud clunking in steering, started right around 36k mile warranty expiration, but I didnt know what it was so did not report it right away.

NHTSA ID

11746858

Incident

Sep 15, 2025

Vehicle infotainment system on 2023 Chevrolet Bolt completely stopped functioning in May of May of 2026. Screen/radio/bluetooth and associated components had no functionality, including backup camera, safety warning features, etc. Dealership confirmed that the system needed replacement entirely and was non-functional. Vehicle was not inspected by any other parties but it was confirmed by the dealership that this is a "common issue" for Chevrolet vehicles, even newer models. There were no warnings prior to the issue - the system simply did not work one day and never functioned again.

NHTSA ID

11745689

Incident

May 1, 2026

The steering has become harder to turn and will not return to center after turning a corner. When driving the steering wheel will stay in the position you have turned it to. I feel like this is dangerous and a safety risk especially at highway speeds. I have taken it to my local Chevrolet dealership and they said the rack and pinion steering is bad and needs to be replaced. $2365 parts and labor and realignment. The vehicle had 50058 miles on it when I noticed it. It now has approx. 52,500 miles on it. There were no warning lamps or safety messages.

NHTSA ID

11744693

Incident

Mar 31, 2026

Without any warning or physical impact, the central infotainment screen completely blanked out and suffered an irreversible hardware failure. This screen acts as the mandatory display terminal for the vehicle's rear-visibility backup camera, as well as the audio generation module for the vehicle's driver alerts. Because of this component failure, the vehicle is in direct non-compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS): 1.FMVSS 111 (Rear Visibility): The vehicle completely fails to display a rear-view image when shifted into reverse, creating an immediate blind-spot hazard for pedestrians. 2. FMVSS 101 (Controls and Displays): All critical audible safety alerts, pedestrian alerts, and driver warning chimes have been entirely silenced. The manufacturer (General Motors) and the authorized franchise dealership (F.H. Dailey Chevrolet) have acknowledged the failure and have the part on backorder, but refuse to fully cover the safety restoration under warranty or provide a temporary loaner vehicle. This forces the primary driver, a [XXX] senior citizen, to choose between total isolation or operating a hazardous, federally non-compliant vehicle. This appears to be a systemic manufacturing or design defect inherently tied to the internal HMI module architecture on the late-model Chevrolet Bolt EV platform, rather than individual wear and tear. A formal investigation is requested to mandate a safety recall and enforce full manufacturer accountability. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11740712

Incident

Apr 19, 2026

I bought my 2023 Bolt EV new on Dec 2024. Around Jan 2025 I start hearing clicking behind the steering wheel when I turn to make parking maneuvers. By April 2025 the clicking is loud and a common occurrence. The steering no longer returns to center and it is noticeably hard to turn the steering wheel. I brought it to the dealership and was repaired under factory warranty for being a faulty part. The issue, which was a leak causing the steering rack to bind, was fixed. See the attached Chevrolet dealership documentation for further details. I have not noticed any further issues after driving for month after repairs were done.

NHTSA ID

11740627

Incident

Apr 13, 2026

The steering wheel does not return to center after turning while driving the car (unlike every other car). It has been reproduced by an independent service center. There are no error codes or warnings. This is a continuous problem that always happens and makes steering the vehicle more difficult.

NHTSA ID

11739173

Incident

May 13, 2026

Recurring electronic transmission shift control failure on a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The Electronic Transmission Shift Control Pushbutton Circuit Board (GM part designation K212) has failed twice within approximately 9,300 miles. First failure occurred at approximately 45,695 miles in July 2025. The dashboard displayed a malfunction indicator and a "Service Transmission" warning. Diagnostic trouble code U18D2 was set: Lost Communication with Transmission Range Selector Control Module on the Powertrain Sensor CAN Bus. The selling Chevrolet dealer replaced the K212 pushbutton circuit board and reprogrammed the HPCM2 module. Second failure occurred at approximately 54,969 miles in March 2026, only about 9,300 miles after the first repair. Same diagnostic code family, including the identical U18D2 code, plus U0076, U18C6, and U240E. The same dealer replaced the same K212 pushbutton circuit board a second time. The repair was processed under manufacturer warranty. Safety risk: when the failure occurs, communication with the transmission range selector is lost intermittently and without warning, leaving the vehicle unable to be reliably shifted into Drive, Reverse, or Park. This creates a clear hazard in traffic, parking lots, and on inclines. The failure mode is sudden and the warning lamps appear only after the malfunction has begun. The component is located beneath the center cup holder area. There is no visible waterproofing or moisture isolation around the circuit board, despite its location directly under a known liquid exposure zone. The failed component from the second repair was reportedly shipped back to GM by the dealer. The vehicle is available for inspection. The failure has been confirmed twice by an authorized Chevrolet dealer.

NHTSA ID

11736684

Incident

Mar 12, 2026

I have a 2023 bolt ev. Right where the odometer it started to go black. I touched it and made it worse. Right now it is not getting bigger but I am worried it will get worse. There is about 75,000 miles, I can't tell miles without the odometer. What would cause this? How do I fix this? Would I be able to resale it like that? How much would it be to get it fixed? I need the car to last intil I can buy a Slate Automotive pickup. Please see attached picture. Thank you! Is there another way to read the miles? Thank you!

NHTSA ID

11732904

Incident

Apr 21, 2026

The steering sticks when making turns and does not return to center. This causes the steering to drift on the highway and reduces the ability to steer in a straight line. I have not reproduced or confirmed it with the dealer. No inspection and no warning lamps. This issue occurs for a large number of Chevrolet Bolt owners.

NHTSA ID

11730575

Incident

Apr 6, 2026

While driving at approximately 45 mph, the regenerative braking feature of the vehicle suddenly failed, and also generated a master caution light on the dashboard display. This is the second time this has happened while driving and resulted in a sudden, alarming change in vehicle dynamics. Regenerative braking is the normal operation regime of the vehicle, with the traditional mechanical-hydraulic brake pedal available for added braking, as demonstrated by the Chevrolet dealership during a test drive and confirmed with the vehicle manual. Furthermore, the vehicle will no longer shut itself off and could pose a fire risk when stored in a garage, parking deck, other vehicles, etc. These issues happened in November 2024. The car was returned to the dealer for warranty repair. Even after extensive repairs to the electrical system, the car has repeated the alarming failure mid-drive. This indicates that there is a serious problem with the electronic and poses a serious safety risk.

NHTSA ID

11729055

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

Steering wheel does not return to center, requiring driver input to do so. Force needed to turn the steering wheel continued to increase throughout the past year, getting abnormally difficult and unlike any other vehicle. Had the steering rack replaced, which corrected the problem.

NHTSA ID

11727729

Incident

Mar 16, 2026

Steering, Rack and Pinion is failing after 44k miles, Steering gear is binding internally

NHTSA ID

11727702

Incident

Mar 25, 2026

Steering wheel fails to return to center after turns — potential steering gear defect 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV steering wheel fails to return to center after completing turns, particularly at low speeds. Steering requires manual input to re-center the vehicle after every turn. No warning lights or audible alerts. The issue is not attributable to alignment, tires, or tire pressure, as I have had new OEM-spec tires installed and an alignment performed without any improvement to the steering. I brought the vehicle to the dealership to address this safety concern. They stated unable to replicate the issue and sent me away without performing repair. The dealership charged me for an alignment but provided only post-alignment figures — no before measurements, making it impossible to determine whether any corrective action was actually taken or whether the alignment was a contributing factor. This is a safety concern as it requires constant driver correction after every turn, increasing risk of overcorrection, unintended lane departure, and delayed response in emergency situations. Condition is hazardous in low-speed environments such as parking lots, intersections, on/off ramps, and residential streets where frequent turns are made and rapid corrections may be necessary. Issue is not isolated to my vehicle or model year. Owners of 2017-2019, 2022, and 2023 Chevy Bolt EVs have reported identical symptoms across multiple owner forums, with hundreds of documented complaints. Community research and independent mechanic diagnoses consistently identify the steering gear (rack and pinion) as the root cause, with internal binding cited as the failure. GM's own service manual includes a diagnostic path for "Poor Return of Steering Wheel," confirming GM is aware this condition exists. No recall or service bulletin issued addressing this widespread concern despite years of owner complaints spanning all Bolt EV model years. Request that NHTSA investigate and consider issuing a recall.

NHTSA ID

11724204

Incident

Jan 26, 2026

The Chevy Bolt steering wheel has a skip track and previous track button mounted to the left-rear side of the steering wheel. These buttons often become unresponsive for extended periods of time (up to 30 minutes) when a media device is connected. When pressed, they will display an error on the instrument panel screen that says “Action Unavailable While Indexing”. Although media controls are not explicitly safety related, the frustration caused by these unresponsive buttons can cause the driver to become distracted or look for unsafe methods of adjusting the media playback that the buttons are supposed to perform.

NHTSA ID

11720950

Incident

Feb 27, 2026

Steering is failing at only 43,800 miles like many others. It is failing to return to center which makes it dangerous to drive, it doesn't come out of a turn. It is clicking and fails to return to center.

NHTSA ID

11718600

Incident

Jan 6, 2026

Clicking/Clunking under driver's feet

NHTSA ID

11717489

Incident

Feb 2, 2026

Headlights were brushed clear of snow prior to driving. While driving in snow conditions, the headlights became covered in snow and would not provide illumination to the road ahead. This put me at safety risk making road visibility extremely poor at night. While driving I couldn’t understand why the road was so difficult to see. Upon arriving home, I inspected the headlights to see the snow had completely covered the headlights.

NHTSA ID

11711873

Incident

Jan 18, 2026

THIS VEHICLE JUST STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, NOT GIVING ME TIME TO PULL OVER. THE SCREEN JUST SAID, "SERVICE MODE", AND WOULD NOT GO INTO NEUTRAL TO ENABLE THE CAR TO BE PUSHED TO A SAFE SPOT. HIGHWAY PETROL HAD TO STOP TRAFFIC AND HAVE IT TOWED OFF. THIS WAS ENDANGERING EVERYONE INVOLVED. IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER CHEVY BOLTS, IT DEFINITELY NEEDS ADDRESSING.

NHTSA ID

11705604

Incident

Dec 6, 2025

The seatbelt grinds away the frame around it.

NHTSA ID

11704974

Incident

Dec 14, 2025

After around 55,000 miles, the steering column began making noise during slow speed corning. When the vehicle is not in motion, the driver can replicate this issue by turning the steering wheel into the 45 degrees position. The repair out of warranty is subject to around $3,000 and this typically is always the case as only the bumper-to-bumper warranty will cover this repair and is limited to 36,000 miles and is not enough time for this issue to arise.

NHTSA ID

11697036

Incident

Jun 1, 2024

The steering system has developed a progressively worse clunking sound when turning the steering wheel left or right when stopped, or at slow speeds. Additionally, the steering wheel will no longer return to center when exiting a turn. (In other words, it requires effort from the driver to return the steering wheel to center)

NHTSA ID

11692233

Incident

Mar 1, 2025

When I make a left or right turn, the steering wheel does not return to the center on its own. I have to manually bring it back to center in order to straighten the wheels after a turn.

NHTSA ID

11689043

Incident

Sep 7, 2025

Rack and Pinion steering rack is failing. The steering wheel is not returning to center, causing the vehicle to meander into oncoming traffic when executing left turns. Recently this forced a vehicle in oncoming traffic to ditch onto the shoulder. Luckily there was no incident (to their vehicle or driver) after stopping to check with the other driver. Dealer has since confirmed the failure of the steering rack with a $3k cost to replace, and that this issue is "common" with 2022-2023 Chevrolet Bolts.

NHTSA ID

11681541

Incident

Aug 6, 2025