2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems, complaints & recalls
FewerRising
NHTSA has received 175 owner complaints about the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV, or 22.8 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.54, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2019 vehicles we track, it ranks #29 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Chevrolet models its rate is 50% lower; against other Electric vehicles it is 60% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2018-11-14 and 2026-07-10. Median delay from incident to filing: 9 days.
175Complaints
22.8Complaints per year on the road
0.54Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
6Recalls · ⚠ 2
6.9%Share involving a crash or fire
15Last 12 months
Analysis
The following model year (2020) drew 25.8 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2019 model collected 26 complaints, 68% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Electrical (43.4% of complaints), followed by Steering (25.1%) and Fuel system (12.0%). Electrical complaints are 2.8 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Electrical reports, owners most often mention “fire”, “battery”, “charge”, “recall” and “notification electrical”. 12 reports (6.9%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 5 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 31 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the third year (40% of incidents). In the last 12 months 15 new complaints were filed, versus 9 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls for this model year, 2 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. 47% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses. 2 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.54
vs. other Chevrolet models0.5
vs. other 2019 models0.5
vs. other Electric vehicles0.4
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (26)0.32
collided with a deer at 45mph. enough force for airbag deployment. airbag attempted to deploy. I can smell igniter fumes and have smoke in the vehicle however the actual steering wheel bag did not deploy.
Vehicle was driving in DRIVE mode, and began to surge as if it was regenerating hard (Felt as if downshifted quickly in a manual), which was odd since it was in DRIVE not LOW. Pulled over and placed the car in PARK.
Transmission / powertrain · 2021-08-03 · ODI 11427581 · Fire
Steering wheel does not return to center on turns when driving at low speeds.
Steering · 2026-07-10 · ODI 11749605
Steering wheel does not return to center after making a turn. Over time the steering rack fails leading to a steering wheel that will not return to center even when force is applied to wheel. The dealership is charging $3-4k to fix this safety issue.
Steering · 2026-06-13 · ODI 11743944
when driving my car from the airport at Bradley International in CT (parked for a week), I experienced a terrible vibration in the steering wheel which has been intermittent. The vibration went away at lower speeds.
Brakes · 2026-05-18 · ODI 11738509
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS Campaign 23V845000 · 2023-12-14
Summary: 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.
Risk: 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.
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS Campaign 22V930000 · 2022-12-15
Summary: 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.
Risk: 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.
Summary: 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.
Risk: 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.
Summary: 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.
Risk: 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.
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The door-handle cable inside the rear doors may be too long, allowing contact with the window when it is opened, possibly damaging the cable. A damaged cable may cause the rear door to open unintentionally when the rear window is opened. Additionally, it may cause the rear inside door handle to not work.
Risk: If the rear door opens while driving, or the door handle fails to open the rear door, there is an increased risk of injury to the rear passengers.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear inside door-handle cables, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A202298320.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER Campaign 18V576000 · 2018-08-30
Summary: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
DP22005 · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM · Opened 2023-01-27 · Closed 2023-08-07 · Campaign 22V063000 · Model years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele…
In October 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE) on 2017-2020 Model Year (MY) Chevrolet Bolt vehicles based on complaints received alleging that the vehicles caught fire under the seating area while parked and unattended. At the time, ODI had received 2 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and several field reports. All complaints alleged vehicles caug…
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
175 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV, or about 22.8 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
The most common category is Electrical, accounting for 43.4% of complaints.
Does the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall(s) for this model year. 2 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Is the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 15 new complaints were filed, versus 9 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
How does the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 175 owner complaints about the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV, or 22.8 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.54, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2019 vehicles we track, it ranks #29 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Chevrolet models its rate is 50% lower; against other Electric vehicles it is 60% lower.