What 316 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated received a recall notification from the manufacturer however, the NHTSA number was not provided. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair, and the mechanic reset the battery. The contact stated upon receiving a second recall notification, the vehicle was taken to the dealer for another recall repair and an unknown reprogram was performed. The contact stated after the vehicle was reprogrammed, the battery failed, and the computer screen remained on. The service warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer who diagnosed that there were no issues found. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 62,500.

NHTSA ODI 11424975

I had my Chevy dealer install the second software update and return my battery charging to 100%. There are now two reports of Bolt EV erupting in flame within a couple weeks of each other and both vehicles had the recommended second software installed. I'm reporting that the fix GM has come up with does not work and does not prevent the initial problem of battery fires when vehicle is left unattended. My safety and the safety of my family or other passengers are at risk of a fire starting for no reason and there's no solution offered by GM for this issue. Neighbors are put at risk just by the presence of this vehicle in my driveway. The general public at large are also put at risk if I was to leave the car in a public parking structure like an airport or downtown parking. Waiting on the NHTSA to do something about this to protect the safety of the public.

NHTSA ODI 11425030

There is an existing recall on my 2017 Bolt EV and GM has not addressed the cause of the battery fires and has instead offered a software update. My car charges in the garage, the danger of battery fires is still present in the battery packs unless it is replaced with a newer type that does not have the original defect. I believe that NHTSA issued the recall to give an auto manufacturer time to rectify a safety defect but it looks like GM has issued a clever workaround to the initial defect of their battery packs by designing a software that will give an early warning of a possible fire. This is not acceptable for the simple reason that there's no guarantee a car owner will hear or see this warning if car is unattended in the garage in the middle of the night. The original safety defect is still present in the defective battery pack so a fix should be for GM to repair the defect in the affected battery packs or replace all defective battery packs. This recall and fix offered is not acceptable it should not take over a year for GM to make good on this recall. Action needs to be taken to get a final fix, this could be deadly to any family that owns this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11424402

Touch screen unresponsive, freezes with rear camera streaming — incredible distraction, system restarts at random. Loss of functionality to HVAC controls in winter caused window to fog and created dangerous driving scenario. Pop sound in speakers then loss of power to infotainment system periodically. I have had dealership replace sway bar and steering due to defective parts. GM not as cooperative as they could be and process lengthy. Now GM tech says chip and screen need replacement. Battery recall has compounded my concerns over safety of Bolt EV.

NHTSA ODI 11424127

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed with needing a steering rack however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of failure and the contact was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

NHTSA ODI 11422329

There is an existing recall on my 2017 Bolt EV and GM has not addressed the cause of the battery fires and has instead offered a software that will provide advanced warning when a fire is imminent. Since most of the known fires started in the garage while parked the danger of battery fires is still present in the battery packs unless it is replaced with a newer type that does not have the original defect. I believe that NHTSA issued the recall to give an auto manufacturer a chance to rectify a safety defect but it looks like GM has issued a clever workaround to the initial defect of their battery packs by designing a software that will give an early warning of a possible fire. This is not acceptable for the simple reason that there's no guarantee a car owner will hear or see this warning if car is unattended in the garage in the middle of the night. The original safety defect is still present in the defective battery pack so a fix should be for GM to repair the defect in the affected battery packs or replace all defective battery packs. Anything less would be morally reprehensible and an insult to a federal safety agency like the NHTSA.

NHTSA ODI 11422362

There is an intermittent RAPID TAPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKE BOOSTER upon opening a door, or releasing the brake pedal (standing still or while in motion), or unplugging the power cord. The behavior is more frequent on colder days. This tapping noise typically continues for nearly a minute. Tapping the brake pedal causes the noise to cease momentarily. Very slight movement on the brake pedal can sometimes stop the tapping. This behavior began more than a year ago. I took the car to the Chevrolet dealer and was told a firmware update would be provided in Q1 2021. I am concerned the behavior may be an early warning sign of brake system failure, which could occur while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11422067

The steering gear is failing to return the wheels to center. When you steer into a curve and you complete the curve the steering does not return to center, you must physically turn it back out of the curve. The steering wheel is tight but operates. This could be a problem for me to perform and it is hard to keep within the lines of a lane. Billion Chevy in Iowa City Iowa has confirmed the malfunction. This is a $2100 repair. There are many complaints online of this problem. Why is this not a recall???? They got a batch of bad steering gears in 2017.

NHTSA ODI 11421720

Sway bar components and steering making noises and excessive movement. These issues were noticeable just after 3yr 36k limited warranty had expired (approx 23k miles on vehicle). Items later found to be faulty by dealership, GM gave significant pushback and offered limited assistance with repairs and claims the treat items on case by case basis. I have read multiple reports of these repairs being performed under warranty and with a few customers out of warranty with similar symptoms. It’s time to investigate Sway Bar and Steering turn signal switch and related component issues in Bolt EV 2017-19, possibly later and require GM to issue a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11418839

2017 Chevrolet Bolt. Consumer writes in regards to high voltage battery safety recall. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SAFETY RECALL SOLUTION WAS UNACCEPTABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11418713

I have had no failures or problems with my vehicle specifically, but I am fearful of the fire risk due to the Chevrolet Bolt EV battery recall. My local dealer has applied the software patch to my vehicle to limit charging to 90% per the recall, but a permanent fix has not been offered by GM. I am also extremely skeptical that another software modification, as proposed by GM, will provide a permanent fix to the problem, given that it is a failure of the physical battery cells that causes the fires. I implore the NHTSA to place pressure on GM to replace the propulsion battery assembly in the affected Bolt EVs and not just try to “slap a software patch on it” as a fix. Additionally, by limiting the vehicle to 90% charge capacity, this reduces the total mileage range of the vehicle, thus reducing its overall value. (Think of it as saying you can never fill the tank to “Full” in your gasoline powered vehicle, so the MPG rating you originally purchased is no longer valid.)

NHTSA ODI 11418005

My car is a 2017 Chevy Bolt under recall for fire hazard associated with the traction battery system. I can no longer park my car in my garage due to the fire risk. I have a significant deterioration in resale value. The car needs to be supervised when charging and no longer had full charging capacity due to the software "upgrade" mandated by Chevrolet. Even though the recall is partially implemented at this time Chevrolet has no way to complete the recall. They (GM) refuse to replace the battery and refuse a buyback on the vehicle. My vehicle is impaired and at the moment there is no recourse. The 12/30/20 date is the date of the last recall implementation. My last visit to dealer was 4/27/21 with no action taken

NHTSA ODI 11417889

THERE IS A RAPID TAPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKE BOOSTER UPON OPENING THE DOOR. TAPPING THE BRAKES WILL MAKE THE NOISE STOP. FOR A FEW WEEKS THIS WOULD STOP THE NOISE UNTIL THE NEXT OCCURRENCE AFTER SITTING FOR HOURS. IT HAS PROGRESSED SO THAT THE TAPPING WILL RETURN AS SOON AS THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED AND CONTINUE WHILE DRIVING. UPON PARKING, THE NOISE WILL PERSIST FOR UP TO A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND THEN STOP. PROBLEM CONTINUES. I TRIED TO ATTACH AN AUDIO FILE BUT IT WASN'T ACCEPTED AS AN APPROVED FILE.

NHTSA ODI 11415973

SINCE I ONLY HAVE SO MANY WORDS I'LL BE BRIEF. LAST YEAR, BEFORE GM, WOULD EVEN ADMIT THERE WAS A PROBLEM, MY CAR THAT I PURCHASED WITH 7647 MILES WAS BACK IN THE SHOP WITH THEM FOR ALMOST A MONTH (BACK AND FORTH) BEFORE IT REACHED 8.K MILES. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD ONLY TELL ME THAT IT HAD "ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS" AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. I PLACED TWO BUYBACK CASES WITH GM AND BOTH WERE DENIED. AS FOR THEM NOW RECALLING THE CARS, THEY ALWAYS KNEW OF THIS ISSUE BEFORE I PURCHASED MY CAR, I RENTED MULTIPLE BOLTS FROM GM CAR-SHARING SERVICE, MAVEN. AT LEAST THREE OF THE CARS I RENTED HAD A TERRIBLE SMELL EMITTING FROM THE BATTERY. MH RIDESHARE PASSENGERS AND I WOULD DISCUSS IT. AND THEIR TEMP FIX TELLS ME THEY ALREADY KNEW BECAUSE NONE OF THE MAVEN BOLTS WERE ALLOWED TO CHARGE TO 100 PERCENT. ALTHOUGH THE CHARGER SAID WAS FULLY CHARGED, IT WASN'T UNTIL I BOUGHT MY OWN BOLT AND STARTED CHARGING DID I REALIZE THOSE CARS WERE NEVER CHARGING FULLY. I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY THAT WAS THE CASE, BUT NOW WE KNOW. AND THE CARS WERE IN MOTION WHEN WE HAD THE BATTERY "BURPS" I STARTED CALLING IT. I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE SPECIFICS, BUT CHECK ON THE MAVEN CARS, AND WE CAN ASK MY RIDESHARE PASSENGERS. I'M SURE THEY'LL REMEMBER THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE SMELL BECAUSE IT SMELLED AS IF SOMEONE BROKE WIND UNTIL I REALIZED WHAT IT WAS, THEN IT BECAME MORE OF A SULFUR SMELL TO ME. AND THAT WAS ONLY AFTER ONE OF MY PASSENGERS TOLD ME THAT THE SMELL WAS THE BATTERY. MY CAR NEVER HAD THE SULFUR SMELL, SUB THAT MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT THE DEALER COULD INITIALLY FIX. THEY HAVE IT RUNNING NOW, BUT AGAIN. THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS WELL BEFORE THE COMPLAINTS. FEEL FREE TO LOOK AT MY CAR. THE OCCURRENCE DATE I LISTED IS NOT EXACT. THAT'S JUST ABOUT THETIME I STARTED RENTING BOLTS FROM MAVEN.

NHTSA ODI 11413728

THERE WAS A RECALL ON CHEVY BOLTS EV 2017, BECAUSE A FIRE OCCURRED. CHEVY ADVERTISE THAT IT CARS GET 234 MILES ON A FULL CHARGE. THIS IS NOT TRUE AND FALSE ADVERTISING FROM THE GMC MANUFACTURER. SINCE THE RECALL AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE RECALIBRATED TO 90 PERCENT, THE CAR GET MUCH LESS THAN 234 MILES . THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS A ALL ELECTRIC CAR. IS THIS NOT FALSE ADVERTISEMENT?

NHTSA ODI 11408399

BRAKES STARTED MAKING NOISE AT 27,000 MILES . WE DRIVE IN L MODE NEVER TOUCH THE BRAKES. DEALERSHIP SAID METAL TO METAL ON ALL 4 WHEELS. I SAID THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE WE DON'T USE THE BRAKES . THEY WOULDN'T CONSIDER A WARRANTY PROBLEM. RAPED ME FOR NEW BRAKES. $800.

NHTSA ODI 11408490

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 ODI 11408492

HELLO. WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN DECEMBER 2020. WHEN I TRIED TO LIST THE VEHICLE ON THE TURO WE NOTICED THAT IT HAVE NHTSA CALL. WE USED TO VISIT CONNEL CHEVROLET IN COSTA MESA BY THEY DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. SO WE STILL HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU

NHTSA ODI 11404073

REAR BACKUP CAMERA DISPLAY FREEZES AFTER PLACING VEHICLE IN DRIVE WHICH MAY BECOME DISTRACTION AND CREATE UNSAFE SITUATION FOR DRIVER WHILE MANEUVERING IN PARKING LOT OR ON ROADWAY WHILE OPERATING AT HIGHER SPEEDS ' CAN BE REMEDIED BY MANUALLY RESTARTING INFORTAINMENT SYSTEM/POWERING OFF/RESTARTING VEHICLE. I HAVE SEEN SYSTEM UNFREEZE FOR RESTART AUTOMATICALLY WHILE VEHICLE IN MOTION WHICH MAY CAUSE DISTRACTION TO DRIVER AND INABILITY TO ADJUST CERTAIN FEATURES OF CLIMATE CONTROLS. TEMPORARY LOSS OF POWER TO HEATING UNIT OR INABILITY TO REGISTER CHANGE IN FAN SPEED (OCCURANCE ONCE). STEERING FEELS LOOSE WHEN INITIALLY MOVING STEERING WHEEL AND COMPONENT(S) MAKING NOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL (RESISTANT ISSUE). SUSPENSION MAKES LOUD CREAKING NOISE(S) WHEN OPERATING ON UNEVEN ROAD SURFACES OR STEEP INCLINE/DECLINE. STEERING/SUSPENSION HAVE BEEN ONGOING ISSUE SINCE PURCHASED IN OCTOBER 2020 ' WILL HAVE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSE AT POSSIBLE OWNERS EXPENSE. DATE OF STEERING ISSUE WILL BE UTILIZED FOR SECTION BELOW.

NHTSA ODI 11399523

THERE IS A RAPID TAPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKE BOOSTER UPON OPENING THE DOOR OR HATCH. TAPPING THE BRAKES WILL MAKE THE NOISE STOP. FOR A FEW WEEKS THIS WOULD STOP THE NOISE UNTIL THE NEXT OCCURRENCE AFTER SITTING FOR HOURS. IT HAS PROGRESSED SO THAT THE TAPPING WILL RETURN AS SOON AS THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED AND CONTINUE WHILE DRIVING. UPON PARKING, THE NOISE WILL PERSIST FOR UP TO A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND THEN STOP. PROBLEM CONTINUES TO THIS DAY (3 MARCH 2021) N.B. IT WOULD BE NICE IF ONE COULD UPLOAD AN MP3 OF THE SOUND. THANK YOU!

NHTSA ODI 11398946

MY VEHICLE IS IMPACTED BY THE FOLLOWING RECALLS: 1) MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER N202311730, AND 2) NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 20V701. A FIX WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN PLACE BY JANUARY 1. I FOLLOWED THE MANUFACTURER'S STEPS TO REDUCE CHARGE CAPACITY AND WAITED PATIENTLY UNTIL 1/29 FOR THE FIX. ON 1/29 I CALLED GM CONCIERGE LINE AT THAT TIME TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE FIX. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO UPDATE. I INQUIRED ABOUT MY OPTIONS INCLUDING A BUYBACK OR REPLACEMENT VEHICLE IN ADDITION TO A LOANER CAR DURING THE PERIOD OF TIME THE CAR WAS OUT OF COMMISSION. I WAS TOLD NO PROBLEM AND SOMEONE WOULD CONTACT ME. I'VE RECEIVED TWO CALLS SINCE THAT TIME, AND NONE OF THE PROMISED STEPS INCLUDING BUYBACK, REPLACEMENT VEHICLE, OR LOANER CARS WERE OFFERED. THE REPRESENTATIVES DO NOT RESPOND TO MY EMAILS, WHEN I CALL, THE ASSIGNED REP IGNORES MY CALLS, AND WHEN I ASK FOR A STATUS UPDATE I'M TOLD THERE ISN'T ONE. GM IS CLEARLY DELAYING THE ISSUE. I HAVE INFORMED GM THAT MY VEHICLE IS PARKED IN A VERY CLOSE QUARTERS GARAGE WHERE A FIRE WOULD CREATE AN IMMINENT LIFE/SAFETY ISSUE. GM CONTINUES TO NOT RESPOND TO MY INQUIRY. THE VEHICLE MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE NONCONFORMITY VEHICLE UNDER THE TANNER ACT AND I AM REQUESTING ASSISTANCE TO ENSURE THAT THE VEHICLE IS REPURCHASED OR REPLACED. THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN CONFIRMATION POSTED THAT THE BATTERY PACKS NEED TO BE REPLACED ON THESE VEHICLE AND GM IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO ISSUE A FIX TO THE VEHICLE AND PREVENT FURTHER INJURY. I AM WRITING TO REQUEST AN INQUIRY BY NHTSA INTO WHAT GM IS ACTUALLY DOING TO PREVENT FURTHER LOSS OF LIFE AND/OR INJURY AND TO REPAIR OR REPLACE MY VEHICLE. I HAVE DOCUMENTED WEEKS OF EMAILS ON THE TOPIC WITH GM WHICH ARE NOT BEING REPLIED TO AND AM NOT SURE WHERE ELSE TO TURN TO GET GM TO ADDRESS THIS OPEN SAFETY ISSUE. THANKS.

NHTSA ODI 11396670

NOW INSTEAD OF 240 MILES I ONLY HAVE 170 MAXIMUM AFTER YOUR 10% REDUCTION

NHTSA ODI 11395843

UNDER THE RECALL, THE MAXIMUM BATTERY CHARGE IS TO BE REDUCED BY 90%. MY VEHICLE GETS LESS THAN THAT, AND NOW ONLY GETS @120-130 MILES MAX, BUT REALISTICALLY ONLY @ 100-105. I LIVE IN COLD WEATHER, MOUNTAINOUS NORTHERN NY STATE. THE CAR IS USED TO COMMUTE TO WORK, 80 MILES PER DAY SO I HAVE TO CHARGE IT EACH DAY, AND BECAUSE IT DOES NOT HAVE FAST-CHARGE, IT TAKES @ 6 HOURS TO GET FULLY CHARGED TO THE REDUCED MAXIMUM. THERE IS ALSO A LOSS OF PROPULSION POWER AS I GET A DASHBOARD WARNING ALL THE TIME, AND I CANNOT PARK THE VEHICLE IN MY GARAGE WHERE MY HOME CHARGER IS LOCATED. CHEVY SHOULD REPLACE THE BATTERY WITH ONE THAT HAS FAST-CHARGE AS COMPENSATION FOR THE LOSS OF USE, INCONVENIENCE, ETC.

NHTSA ODI 11394929

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

NHTSA ODI 11391022

THERE ARE CONSTANT STRONG KNOCKS 8 TIMES PER SECOND IN IBOOSTER. KNOCKS ARE HEARD IN THE CABIN AND UNDER THE HOOD. DISAPPEAR ONLY WHEN YOU PRESS THE TOMOZ PEDAL.

NHTSA ODI 11390874