Your vehicle report
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 350
- Received Mar 2017 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed93 complaints · 27% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Battery drains and dies when parked17 complaints · 4.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Vehicle catches fire from wiring13 complaints · 3.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #21V560000Park outsideGeneral Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 20V-701. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.
- Recall #20V701000Park outsideGeneral Motors LLC (GM) is recalling all 2017-2018 and certain 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Steering wanders or pulls at highway speedFirst signal: Apr 2022
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 11 crashes, 5 fires, 5 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 19 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
- Battery drains and dies when parked
- Vehicle catches fire from wiring
- Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own
1 more problem
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 19 |
| 2018 | 20 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 118 |
| 2022 | 51 |
| 2023 | 35 |
| 2024 | 27 |
| 2025 | 36 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 19 |
| Total | 350 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 93 | 27% | 37.2× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Apr 2022 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 3.7% |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 17 | 4.9% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 13 | 3.7% | – | NHTSA recall #22V930000 |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 9 | 2.6% | 23.9× | |
| Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning | 8 | 2.3% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 7 | 2.0% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 7 | 2.0% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 1.7% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 6 | 1.7% | – | |
| Rearview backup camera fails or goes black | 5 | 1.4% | 1.4× | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 5 | 1.4% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 5 | 1.4% | – | |
| Dashboard melts, becomes sticky and glares | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 0.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #21V560000July 23, 202157,414 vehicles affected
Park outside: NHTSA advises this until the repair is done.
electrical system: propulsion system: traction battery
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 20V-701. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.
A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy
Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (2019 models) feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, charge their vehicle more frequently, avoid depleting the battery to 70 miles range remaining, park outside after charging, and do not charge the vehicle indoors overnight. Defective battery modules will be replaced by GM, free of charge. Interim notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N212343880.
NHTSA recall #20V701000November 13, 202050,932 vehicles affected
Park outside: NHTSA advises this until the repair is done.
electrical system: propulsion system: traction battery
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling all 2017-2018 and certain 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.
A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy
This recall has been superseded by recall number 21V-560. Vehicles previously repaired under 20V-701 will still need to have the new remedy under recall 21V-560. GM will notify owners, and as an interim repair, beginning on November 17, 2020, dealers will reprogram the hybrid propulsion control module 2 (HPCM2) to limit the full charge to 90%, free of charge. Owners are advised to activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (2019 models) feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, or park outside, until the software update is completed. Owners were notified of the interim repair beginning November 17, 2020. The second notice was mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N202311730.
NHTSA recall #23V845000December 14, 20236,771 vehicles affected
seat belts: pretensioner; structure: body: roof and pillars
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. This recall includes certain vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under NHTSA recall number 22V-930. After a crash with seat belt pretensioner deployment, the pretensioner exhaust may ignite carpet fibers near the B-pillar, causing a fire.
A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect both front seat belt pretensioners and, if necessary, install metal foil at the carpet near the pretensioner exhaust. Certain vehicles will also need a pretensioner cover installed. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2024. These vehicles were previously recalled for this same issue under recall number 22V-930 and will need to have the new remedy performed. Owners may contact GM EV Concierge at 1-833-EVCHEVY (1-833-382-4389) (TTY 711 / 1-800-833-2438) or Customer Service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232421970.
NHTSA recall #22V930000December 15, 2022111,242 vehicles affected
seat belts: pretensioner; structure: body: roof and pillars
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. After a crash with seat belt pretensioner deployment, the pretensioner exhaust may ignite carpet fibers near the B-pillar, causing a fire.
A vehicle fire can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will install metal foil at the carpet near the pretensioner exhaust, and install a pretensioner cover as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed between January 23, 2023 and April 25, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N222383790.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN