2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
229
Owner Complaints
8
Recalls
40
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV
The 2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV has received a total of 229 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 14 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY THERMAL:MANAGEMENT:SOFTWARE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY. 40 technical service bulletins have been issued by General Motors, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Electrical System (82 complaints), Fuelpropulsion System (25 complaints), and Steering (20 complaints).
Recalls for the 2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV
NHTSA has recorded 14 recalls for the 2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV, potentially affecting up to 395,855 vehicles.
Recall 24V812000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY THERMAL:MANAGEMENT:SOFTWARE
| 107 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 24V812000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 107 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 24V481000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 72 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →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 21V650000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 52,414 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 21V650000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 52,414 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 21V650000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
| 52,414 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 20V808000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
| 464 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. These vehicles may have an improperly cast front left brake caliper that can fracture during a high-pressure braking event.
Consequence: If a brake caliper fractures and brake fluid is lost, the vehicle may experience reduced brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the casting lot number on the front left brake caliper and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020....
View full details →Recall 20V811000 — SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
| 470 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat...
Consequence: If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's...
View full details →Recall 20V811000 — SEAT BELTS
| 470 vehicles affected
Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat...
Consequence: If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's...
View full details →Recall 20V184000 — LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
| 897 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
Consequence: 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.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV
229 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
Steering rack started failing: did not return to center out of slow corners. Basically I could do hands-free circles in a parking lot. Dealer confirmed the steering rack was bad and replaced it under warranty. Out of sweeping corners this can be a safety issue as it only got worse over time. No warning lights nor other indication of the problem.
While waiting to turn left at a light and driving in "L" (one pedal) mode, I started to release the break in anticipation of oncoming lanes clearing, as I lifted the pedal the car lurched into the intersection. The Bolt normally accelerates very gently in L mode when no break is applied, but does not lurch forwards like this under normal conditions. The breaks did work, and I was able to stop, but I was now in the middle of the intersection and slightly encroaching into oncoming lanes. I tried to accelerate to pull through, but the car did not respond. After several second of frantically pushing the accelerator, the car slowly and jerkily moved forward and cleared the intersection. My Chevy dealer says this is a known problem with service bulletin "Chevrolet TSB 19-NA-220". In my opinion this is incredibly dangerous and should have been recalled. However, there is no recall that I can find and outrageously Chevy will not cover this manufacturing defect under warranty as they specifically exclude wiring harnesses due to past issues with rodent damage, and they are hiding behind that rule.
While waiting to turn left at a light and driving in "L" (one pedal) mode, I started to release the break in anticipation of oncoming lanes clearing, as I lifted the pedal the car lurched into the intersection. The Bolt normally accelerates very gently in L mode when no break is applied, but does not lurch forwards like this under normal conditions. The breaks did work, and I was able to stop, but I was now in the middle of the intersection and slightly encroaching into oncoming lanes. I tried to accelerate to pull through, but the car did not respond. After several second of frantically pushing the accelerator, the car slowly and jerkily moved forward and cleared the intersection. My Chevy dealer says this is a known problem with service bulletin "Chevrolet TSB 19-NA-220". In my opinion this is incredibly dangerous and should have been recalled. However, there is no recall that I can find and outrageously Chevy will not cover this manufacturing defect under warranty as they specifically exclude wiring harnesses due to past issues with rodent damage, and they are hiding behind that rule.
While waiting to turn left at a light and driving in "L" (one pedal) mode, I started to release the break in anticipation of oncoming lanes clearing, as I lifted the pedal the car lurched into the intersection. The Bolt normally accelerates very gently in L mode when no break is applied, but does not lurch forwards like this under normal conditions. The breaks did work, and I was able to stop, but I was now in the middle of the intersection and slightly encroaching into oncoming lanes. I tried to accelerate to pull through, but the car did not respond. After several second of frantically pushing the accelerator, the car slowly and jerkily moved forward and cleared the intersection. My Chevy dealer says this is a known problem with service bulletin "Chevrolet TSB 19-NA-220". In my opinion this is incredibly dangerous and should have been recalled. However, there is no recall that I can find and outrageously Chevy will not cover this manufacturing defect under warranty as they specifically exclude wiring harnesses due to past issues with rodent damage, and they are hiding behind that rule.
See attached document for complaint.
Safety Rating for the 2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV
The 2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV
General Motors, LLC has issued 40 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
N242470162 — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Service Update - Certain vehicles may have a condition where the advanced diagnostic software recall remedy in NHTSA Recall 21V650 may not have been correctly installed in this vehicle population. Dealers are to reprogram the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2, Battery Energy Control Module and the Body Control Module.
N242443490 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Service update - certain vehicles may have a condition where a false diagnostic trouble code (DTC) is set. Dealers are to reprogram the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2.
24-NA-202 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This service bulletin provides dealers Warranty Administration - North American Charging Standard (NACS) DC Adapter Warranty Claim Information.
24-NA-200 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of DTC HPCM2 Software Update for Using NACS DC Fast Charge Adapter, Possible DTC(s) P3013 or P302D.
24-NA-200 — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
This service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of DTC HPCM2 Software Update for Using NACS DC Fast Charge Adapter, Possible DTC(s) P3013 or P302D.
N242437530-01 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Service Update. Certain vehicles may have a condition in which a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) is set. IMPORTANT: If the vehicle comes in with the DTC U3620-U362E and U3630-U3636, with symptom 17 ALREADY set, go to SI and follow the published SI diagnostic/repair procedures. This field action DOES NOT apply...
N232432430 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:HYBRID MANAGEMENT
Service Update Ended - This message is to inform dealers that Service Update N232432430 released on March 26, 2024 through GlobalConnect message GCUS-3-3188 has ended.
N242437530 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Service Update - Certain vehicles may have a condition in which a diagnostic trouble code (DTC), U3620-U362E or U3630-U3636, symptom 17, is triggered. This DTC is resulting in customers experiencing a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated in the Driver Information Center (DIC), Reduced Propulsion with corresponding DIC message, and a...
N242437530 — POWER TRAIN
Service Update - Certain vehicles may have a condition in which a diagnostic trouble code (DTC), U3620-U362E or U3630-U3636, symptom 17, is triggered. This DTC is resulting in customers experiencing a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated in the Driver Information Center (DIC), Reduced Propulsion with corresponding DIC message, and a...
N232421260 — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Service Update - Certain vehicles may have a condition in which a false diagnostic trouble code (DTC), U3636 symptom 09, is triggered. This false DTC is resulting in customers experiencing a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated in the Driver Information Center (DIC), a Reduced Propulsion message, and a charging limited...
Showing 10 of 40 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2020 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 — 111 complaints
- 2019 CHEVROLET BOLT EV — 228 complaints
- 2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV (current)
- 2021 CHEVROLET BOLT EV — 93 complaints
- 2022 CHEVROLET BOLT EV — 90 complaints
- 2023 CHEVROLET BOLT EV — 67 complaints
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- CHEVROLET EQUINOX — 12,135 total complaints
- CHEVROLET BLAZER — 11,032 total complaints
- CHEVROLET SILVERADO — 10,928 total complaints
- CHEVROLET SUBURBAN — 10,375 total complaints