2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
111
Owner Complaints
5
Recalls
66
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV
The 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV has received a total of 111 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 11 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER, STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS. 66 technical service bulletins have been issued by General Motors, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Electrical System (29 complaints), Steering (29 complaints), and Power Train (12 complaints).
Recalls for the 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV
NHTSA has recorded 11 recalls for the 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV, potentially affecting up to 778,174 vehicles.
Recall 23V845000 — SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
| 6,771 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 23V845000 — STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
| 6,771 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 22V930000 — SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
| 111,242 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 22V930000 — STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
| 111,242 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 21V560000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 57,414 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 21V560000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 57,414 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 21V560000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 57,414 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 21V560000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 57,414 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 20V701000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 50,932 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 20V701000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 50,932 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 18V576000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
| 210,628 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV
111 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical Systempropulsion Systemtraction Battery | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lightingbrake Lights | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
[XXX] has stearing gear needing to be replaced after <60K miles. is there a way to report that this may be design flaw. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle arrived with windshield chip, transport company provided proof happened before transport. Brake failure on first use after delivery. Reduced-propulsion warning triggered. Both passenger-side door locks failed. Center-console power and data failed (replacements pending). Rear and passenger-side cameras blurry (replacements pending). GM manufacturer buyback vehicle. Safety defect occurred immediately after delivery. Vehicle down more than 50 days. Dealer delayed title paperwork to Tennessee for 44 days and delayed delivering finance contract/payment instructions to buyers for 50 days. GM Financial issued late notices before contract was delivered. Dealer has not responded to reimbursement deadline. Safety and delivery failures created unsafe condition and administrative harm.
Vehicle arrived with windshield chip, transport company provided proof happened before transport. Brake failure on first use after delivery. Reduced-propulsion warning triggered. Both passenger-side door locks failed. Center-console power and data failed (replacements pending). Rear and passenger-side cameras blurry (replacements pending). GM manufacturer buyback vehicle. Safety defect occurred immediately after delivery. Vehicle down more than 50 days. Dealer delayed title paperwork to Tennessee for 44 days and delayed delivering finance contract/payment instructions to buyers for 50 days. GM Financial issued late notices before contract was delivered. Dealer has not responded to reimbursement deadline. Safety and delivery failures created unsafe condition and administrative harm.
Vehicle arrived with windshield chip, transport company provided proof happened before transport. Brake failure on first use after delivery. Reduced-propulsion warning triggered. Both passenger-side door locks failed. Center-console power and data failed (replacements pending). Rear and passenger-side cameras blurry (replacements pending). GM manufacturer buyback vehicle. Safety defect occurred immediately after delivery. Vehicle down more than 50 days. Dealer delayed title paperwork to Tennessee for 44 days and delayed delivering finance contract/payment instructions to buyers for 50 days. GM Financial issued late notices before contract was delivered. Dealer has not responded to reimbursement deadline. Safety and delivery failures created unsafe condition and administrative harm.
The steering fails to return to center after a turn, especially at low speed. It requires me to manually center the wheel, and can make steering difficult in low speed city driving. No warning lights or codes are displayed. Front end alignment seems to be good with very little drifting in either direction. Highway driving provides some centering of the wheel, though less than any of the vehicles I have driven. When test driving the vehicle on 9/15/25, I asked the dealership about the issue. They stated it had been inspected roughly a month prior and no issues were found with the steering, and no pending recalls existed that were related to steering. I bought the vehicle the same day and realized it had the symptoms at all times at low speeds. Chevy Bolt forums have reported the same issue, with a lot of vehicles having low miles.
Safety Rating for the 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV
General Motors, LLC has issued 66 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
N242443000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Service update - certain vehicles may need the battery software updated. Dealers will reprogram the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2, Battery Energy Control Module, and the Body Control module.
PIE0753B — EQUIPMENT
This engineering information (EI) will assist GM to recover a small number of electric vehicle battery packs from customer-owned vehicles in the field for further engineering study and analysis.
21-NA-210 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
This service bulletin provides information on observing visible cracks on A/C Evaporator Hose and that it is a normal condition.
21-NA-210 — VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
This service bulletin provides information on observing visible cracks on A/C Evaporator Hose and that it is a normal condition.
22-NA-151 — POWER TRAIN
This service bulletin provides diagnostic and repair information for instances when DTC P0BBD may set.
22-NA-119 — EQUIPMENT
The service bulletin provides warranty information on High Voltage Battery Safety Recall Replacement Parts.
PIT5569B — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This Preliminary information communicates direction and examples when diagnosing multiple DTCs, one of which includes U**** Byte 71 DTC.
22-NA-089 — ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL:AUTOMATIC (ASC)
This service bulletin provides a Service Procedure to correct customer concerns of Intermittent Click Noise at Front of Vehicle, ABS, Traction Control System (TCS)/Stabilitrak Lamps May Illuminate Intermittently and/or Deactivate for Ignition Cycle with DTC P215B, C0035-C0051 Set.
22-NA-089 — POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
This service bulletin provides a Service Procedure to correct customer concerns of Intermittent Click Noise at Front of Vehicle, ABS, Traction Control System (TCS)/Stabilitrak Lamps May Illuminate Intermittently and/or Deactivate for Ignition Cycle with DTC P215B, C0035-C0051 Set.
18-NA-166 — STRUCTURE
This service bulletin provides a procedure to adjust the I/P tie bar to correct a condition of A Pillar Molding Does not Match IP Top Pad, Wont Stay Attached, and or Pops Up due to the adjustment being off.
Showing 10 of 66 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the CHEVROLET BOLT EV
- 2017 CHEVROLET BOLT EV — 449 complaints
- 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV (current)
- 2019 CHEVROLET BOLT EV — 228 complaints
- 2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV — 229 complaints
- 2021 CHEVROLET BOLT EV — 93 complaints
- 2022 CHEVROLET BOLT EV — 90 complaints
- 2023 CHEVROLET BOLT EV — 67 complaints
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