2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems, complaints & recalls
Far fewerToo few recent reports to judge
NHTSA has received 67 owner complaints about the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV, or 11.8 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.28, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #24 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Chevrolet models its rate is 74% lower; against other Electric vehicles it is 79% 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 2021-05-04 and 2026-08-26. Median delay from incident to filing: 10 days.
67Complaints
11.8Complaints per year on the road
0.28Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
5Recalls · ⚠ 3
6.0%Share involving a crash or fire
5Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 25.8 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 12.6 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 40 complaints, 35% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Electrical (41.8% of complaints), followed by Steering (11.9%) and Transmission / powertrain (10.4%). Electrical complaints are 2.6 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Electrical reports, owners most often mention “battery”, “notification electrical”, “electrical system”, “reasonable” and “charge”. 4 reports (6.0%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 1 injury and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 8 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (55% of incidents). 5 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls for this model year, 3 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. 42% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses. 1 NHTSA defect investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.28
vs. other Chevrolet models0.26
vs. other 2021 models0.31
vs. other Electric vehicles0.21
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (40)0.65
I was in a car accident on February 9th, in which my airbags did not deploy, however, I did receive an error in my Chevy app that my Air Bag system requires attention. I sustained facial injuries due to impact with the steering wheel.
Video available and was given to USAA insurance company. This 2021 GM Chevrolet Bolt EV Premier trim vehicle experienced a sudden uncommanded extreme acceleration when I selected "D" (drive) mode on the transmission selector after using "R" (reverse) to back…
Transmission / powertrain · 2025-04-20 · ODI 11655690 · Crash
The electronic steering gear (steering rack) on my 2021 Chevrolet Bolt has malfunctioned, causing the steering to feel rough, stiff, and sticky.
Steering · 2026-08-26 · ODI 11759703
My 2021 Chevy Bolt keeps showing a battery or power-Propulsion warning light related to the high-voltage system. The warning keeps coming back even after multiple repairs.
Electrical · 2026-03-02 · ODI 11721358
Steering rack binding. Becoming progressively harder to turn over time. Steering wheel doesn't return to center. Clunking in front end occasionally heard when hitting bumps.
Steering · 2026-01-31 · ODI 11714633
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Bolt EUV vehicles previously repaired under Recall 21V-650. The installation of advanced diagnostic software may have failed. As such, 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: Set the Target Charge Level 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. Dealers will reinstall advanced diagnostic software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 3, 2024. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N242470160.
Summary: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV vehicles that were previously remedied under recall number 21V-650. The advanced diagnostic software may have been incorrectly installed and fail to detect defective battery modules, possibly resulting in a battery fire.
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Set the Target Charge Level 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. Dealers will reinstall the advanced diagnostic software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 1, 2024. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's numbers for this recall are N242443000 and N242443002.
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 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV 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: Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Set the Target Charge Level 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. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 1, 2021 and June 23, 2023. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall 21V-560. GM's number for this recall is N212345940.
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…
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
67 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV, or about 11.8 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
The most common category is Electrical, accounting for 41.8% of complaints.
Does the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 5 safety recall(s) for this model year. 1 NHTSA defect investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Is the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV still generating complaints?
5 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
How does the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 67 owner complaints about the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV, or 11.8 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.28, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #24 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Chevrolet models its rate is 74% lower; against other Electric vehicles it is 79% lower.