Chevrolet · Bolt EV · 2017
4
Recalls
334
Complaints
-
Not Rated
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has 4 recalls and 334 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Most reported issue: steering (113 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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.
Remedy Status
This recall has been superseded by recall number 21V-560.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.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
I started losing Regen braking intermittently, when this happens the brakes themselves don't work well and there's no warning, you lift of the pedal expecting the car to stop and its rolling freely, to push brake and its not stopping like you expect, then it thuds and lunges forward a bit and stops. It was rarely happening, now the car can barely be driven. I have not got it into a shop yet. It throws DTC P182B, P182D, P1840, and U0401 every time. Clearing them, even while still moving brings it all back to normal, except an image of my previous drive will be frozen on infotainment that I have to hard reset to get it to work. Also backup camera does now work when these codes are active. I have found 1 person online that is having this exact issue. It's terrifying to approach a stop light and used to 1 pedal driving and I'm rolling freely instead. the first incident of it was 03/05/26 and has progressively worsened. My code scanner keeps records of when I clear the codes,
Sometimes, when driving in a turn, either direction, and hands are released from the steering wheel, the vehicle does not return to center. Force is required to cause the steering to begin returning to center. Once it begins returning to center, seems to always continue to center. This is a dangerous departure from decades of common vehicle operation. An unsuspecting driver can drive into an obstacle or people.
Vehicle started to surge while driving (both small acceleration forward and large deceleration) without any change in brake or accelerator position. Eventually a "Propulsion Power Reduced" message was presented on the console followed immediately by no forward propulsion (accelerator completely unresponsive) and forced to coast to a stop on the side of the highway. Car refused to shift out of park or neutral following breakdown. Car taken to dealer to troubleshoot and was told that a P0A3F code was present and that the engine harness needed to be replaced in accordance with NHTSA bulletin 19-NA-220. This bulletin calls out that the harness was likely damaged during initial install at factory and the dealer representative confirmed that the pins were damaged as described. Car was given back to drive home after harness was checked (owner decided to explore options before scheduling repair), but broke down due to surging and complete loss of power within 2 miles of dealer. Troubleshooting to confirm harness damage is suspected to have worsen the condition and made un-commanded accel/deceleration followed by complete loss of power likely. Uncertain why this condition would be exempt from recall if OEM is aware of installation issues at factory. Driving with this condition was as bad or worse than other type model loss of power conditions that have been recalled. Recommend at least clarifying that cars confirmed to fall under this bulletin and associated inspection should not be deemed roadworthy until a repair is made.
I am reporting a safety issue involving the high-voltage battery system of my vehicle. Vehicle: 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV VIN: [XXX] Mileage: 87,125 miles The vehicle has generated a P302F diagnostic trouble code, which indicates high-voltage battery cell imbalance. This condition may pose a safety risk related to battery performance and thermal stability. The authorized Chevrolet dealership has refused to diagnose the issue under warranty unless I pre-authorize a $600 diagnostic fee. The vehicle is covered under an active GM buyback warranty and a 10-year / 100,000-mile battery warranty due to a recall battery replacement. Due to the safety implications of a high-voltage battery fault, I believe refusal to diagnose the issue under warranty may pose a risk and warrants review. I am submitting this complaint to document the issue and request investigation. Thank you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My wife of [XXX] and grandson were driving our Chevrolet Bolt, crossing a busy 4 lane highway when suddenly and w/o any prior warning, the Bolt lost propulsion. Caught blocking 2 of those lanes, she was fortunate that men stopped their trucks and pushed her car up hill and into a church parking lot. She called me and I tried resetting everything to factory settings, and the Bolt seemed okay-for a short time. I hooked a diagnostic unit to the car and found an error code that indicated either the failure of the pre-charge resistor or the HV contactor-both in the battery pack. This was a pack replaced by the dealership back when Bolts were randomly catching fire and destroying themselves and nearby property. Now these packs are failing again and there are service bulletins addressing this fact and that it is common in 2017 and 2018 Bolts. GM however has not sent out warnings to its unfortunate customers warning them of this common failure and life- threatening problem. Luckily today I'm dealing with the Bolts warranty rather than two funerals. All of that took place on 11/22/25. In the hour following the first failure, this situation repeated itself 4 more times. The last time there was no restarting it, or the car would shake if put into drive or reverse. As it was Saturday we had to wait until today 11/24/25 to get it towed to the dealership for $140. This failure will require dropping the battery pack and running three tests, then replacement of the faulty components. This should be under warranty according to our and the dealerships records, but this issue need to hit the national news and all Bolt owners should be sent letters warning of sudden and unpredictable failures. This was life threatening for us and will be for many others. Imagine this happening at interstate speeds in heavy traffic. Lives will be lost. This is the second and more dangerous failure for these horrible vehicles, and GM should at this point replace these or refund every owner. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATI
Steering rack broke, wheel won’t return to center. Dealer wants $3k dollars to fix. This should be recalled as the amount of cars it happens to is significantly high.
Steering doesn't return to center after turning. In sweeping turns, it is quite dangerous as the vehicle wants to push harder into the turn and requires operator to push the wheel back toward center to keep the vehicle on the road
The steering does not self-center after making a turn. It feels stiff and remains in the turned position, requiring manual effort to bring it back to center.
The steering on the car does not return to center and sticks to the position turned and has to be manually pushed back to center. This is an issue with the steering rack.
The steering wheel in the Chevrolet Bolt fails to return to center on its own. This is due to the steering rack grease hardening over time. This is a common issue with these cars but I am willing to offer my car for inspection on request. This is a safety and usability issue - my wife has carpal tunnel and struggles to properly return the vehicle to center when making a turn without pain. This does not show any specific warning lights. The component in this car has not been inspected, but the symptoms are always apparent, so it is always reproducible. This is very similar to if the power steering in a gas car were to fail. We have not had the issue fixed yet, but will likely need to do so in order to continue using the car safely.
Steering wheel sticks and doesn't return to center. Service center says the steering rack need to be replaced. The issue creates a significant safety hazard by impeding my ability to control the vehicle during turns, potentially leading to accidents.
Sticking steering wheel. Does not return to center, stiff steering. If steering wheel is not manually return to center, vehicle will continue to turn.
On August 17th, 2025, my wife was driving our 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV at low speed, pulling into a parking spot. The vehicle suddenly accelerated forward with enough force to cause significant damage to a fixed barrier. She does not recall pressing the accelerator at that moment. The degree of acceleration was disproportionate for a brief accidental press. Immediately after impact, smoke or dust was visible rising through the center console area. No airbags deployed, but it appeared similar to smoke from pyrotechnic devices. My wife sustained seatbelt-related bruising across the chest and thighs. The vehicle remains drivable. I have included photos detailing damage to the car and the fixed barrier. We are aware of the GM accessory all-weather floor liner recall (21E-089), but are not certain if our vehicle’s liner was part of that campaign. We are reporting this incident to ensure there is a record in case this reflects unintended acceleration or another defect.
This tends to only happen below 74 degrees Fahrenheit and happens excessively between 72 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit. While driving with one pedal engaged (labeled as low on the shifter since they re-used another model's shifter for the first several years of the Bolt EV), the cruise control will randomly disengage and force the vehicle to immediately slam on the brakes. Usually its not a big deal, but when it happens at highway speed as you're just passing a semi or large vehicle and merging back into the lane in front of it, it becomes dangerous very quickly, which has happened a couple of times now. I would venture a guess that its not related to the cruise control directly, but some system that its relying on is forcing it to deactivate the cruise control. The only other issue this vehicle is having that might be related is that the blind spot detection system is not working correctly on the left side. I know there's a TSB for the aluminum Butyl tape becoming damaged or missing, but if that's causing my car to slam on its brakes in front of fully loaded semis, Chevy should probably be persuaded into re-coding how their cruise control gets disengaged. Especially since this blind spot detection system issue seems somewhat common. Either way, something is causing my car to randomly slam on its brakes in the middle of the highway and Chevy says there's nothing they can do about it because its not setting a code. This is definitely a dangerous safety issue that they should be forced into actually diagnosing more than just plugging a computer in and saying: "whelp, nothing to see here." and returning it to the customer with a "we can't do anything, sorry."
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V560000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Steering wheel is not returning to center after a turn. It can be dangerous in certain situations where you would expect the steering to center after making a turn. Took it into a mechanic and they said its a common issue on the bolts. Power steering rack is faulty. This needs to be investigated.... Lots of complaints online!
In 2022 under a recall the Propulsion battery was replaced that was a complete battery assembly. At 60K miles the High Voltage battery relay has become defective. Confirmed by a GM diagnostic test. Defective High Voltage relay. Was informed to get it replaced soon as it would cause a fire. Very dangerous in their words. Get repaired as soon as possible. The battery assembly is warranty of 8-years 100k miles. Looks to be a so called gray area on the high voltage relay as it’s considered a wear item. 60k of normal use and now it’s a fire hazard and it’s my responsibility to replace the relay under normal wear and tear. Im I the only one who is experiencing a high voltage relay in the battery assembly that is deemed a fire hazard? We are in our 70’s and we take great care of the car, no abuse and sits in a garage. Normal wear? Or a potential fire waiting to happen? I’m confused. Thanks for your time.
STEERING WILL NOT RETURN TO CENTER. STIFF AND SLUGGISH.
The steering wheel intermittently sticks and fails to return to center after turns or minor corrections, especially at low to moderate speeds. This requires constant manual correction to re-center the vehicle, which increases the risk of overcorrection or unintended lane departure. There are no warning lights or noise, and the issue does not appear to be related to alignment, tires, or pressure. Many other Chevy Bolt owners are reporting the same behavior, pointing to a potential defect in the steering gear or rack. This is a serious safety hazard that could result in loss of vehicle control. GM has not issued a recall or service bulletin, and repairs are expensive. See community reports here: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
When corning the steering wheel intermittently sticks and fails to return to center after turns, at any speed but especially at low to moderate speeds. This requires me manually turn the wheel to re-center the vehicle, which increases the risk of overcorrection or unintended lane departure. There are no warning lights or noise, and the issue us not appear to be related to alignment, tires, or tire pressure. Many other Chevy Bolt owners are reporting the same behavior. This leads me to believe that this is a potential defect in the steering gear or rack. This is a safety hazard that could result in loss of vehicle control. GM has not issued a recall or service bulletin, and repairs are expensive.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has 4 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 334 owner-reported complaints for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV.
NHTSA has not published a safety rating for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV are steering (113 reports), electrical system (96 reports), fuel/propulsion system (35 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 4 recalls on record for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.