What 73 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that when the driver (his wife) drove at 45mph a vehicle failed to yield the right of way and made a left turn. The driver was unable to stop and crashed into the vehicle's front passenger side and bumper. The contact stated that the driver's air bag and the front passenger air bag failed to deploy causing the driver injuries to the neck, shoulder, sides, right leg, and back. The front passenger was a ten-year-old child who received injuries to the right shoulder. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 22,000.

NHTSA ODI 11425984

The incident involves a 2018 Chevy Bolt EV. I arrived at a parking space next to the electric charging station where I generally park the car. I park perpendicular to the side wall of a house. There is a small garden bed (about 2 ft wide) between the house and the parking area. As I pulled up I was not exactly perpendicular to the wall. I believe I was in Drive Low and had completely stopped or perhaps nearly stopped when I decided to tweak my parking position a bit to be exactly perpendicular to the wall. My intent was to apply the accelerator and ease over a few inches to park, but when I began to do so the car took off suddenly and uncontrollably and crashed into the side of the house. The front end of the car was damaged and the house sustained both exterior and interior damage, leaving a hole through the wall. To me, it felt like I was in a rocket launch. I don't know whether I applied the brakes or if the wall stopped the car. The car is currently at a shop where the insurance company has ordered an inspection scan for error codes. No one has driven the car since, and so the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed. No warning messages appeared before the crash although the the car is equipped with front collision warning systems. Consumer stated diagnostic report she received from her service department prior to repairing the car. to repairing the car.

NHTSA ODI 11423286

ON MARCH 17, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:45P.M., WE PARKED THE BOLT IN THE DRIVEWAY OF OUR HOME. WE EXITED THE BOLT AND PLUGGED IT INTO OUR JUICEBOX (LEVEL 2) CHARGER AS USUAL. AT APPROXIMATELY 5:00 PM, WE WERE ALERTED THAT THE BOLT WAS ON FIRE. WE DISCOVERED SMOKE BILLOWING OUT OF THE REAR OF THE BOLT AND THE BOLT APPARENTLY COMBUSTING FROM WITHIN IN THE AREA OF THE BATTERY CELLS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND TOOK APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS TO CONTROL THE FIRE AND SMOKE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EVACUATED US, OUR DOWNSTAIRS NEIGHBORS, AND BOTH UNITS OF THE HOME NEXT DOOR DURING THE FIRE. THE FUMES FROM THE BURNING MATERIALS WAS SO THICK AND NOXIOUS IT PERMEATED OUR HOME, REQUIRING PROFESSIONAL CLEANING. WE EXPERIENCED HEADACHES FOLLOWING CONTACT WITH THE SMOKE. THE BOLT IS A TOTAL LOSS. IT TOOK CHEVY A FEW DAYS TO RESPOND TO OUR CLAIM. EVENTUALLY CHEVY SENT TWO ENGINEERS FROM DETROIT TO OUR DRIVEWAY TO INSPECT THE JUICE BOX. CHEVY PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY.

NHTSA ODI 11230072