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2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 174 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV, most often about the electrical (54% of complaints, typically around 35,000 miles). It is the 3rd most complained-about Bolt EV model year since 2000 and has 8 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory3 recalls for this car came with a park-outside warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems
Electrical
94 complaints · 54%Half of these problems showed up before 35,000 miles. Parts named most often: propulsion system, 12v/24v/48v battery.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21v650000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the high-beam headlights activated independently while driving.…
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while charging, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound. The vehicle became very hot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21v650000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the…
Fuel system
30 complaints · 17%Steering
22 complaints · 13%Other or unspecified
21 complaints · 12%Android auto skip and pause on steering wheel stopped working unless infotainment reset daily or re-enter car. Was an abnormal ticking noise coming from the vehicle. The noise sounded as if it were coming from the area of the console/ gear shift
Transmission
11 complaints · 6%Speed control
8 complaints · 5%Parts named most often: accelerator pedal.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact was pulling into a parking space, she took her foot off the accelerator pedal however, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated forward into the retaining wall. The vehicle was towed to capital Chevrolet (9820 capital blvd, wake forest, nc 27587) however, the contact…
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the accelerator pedal became stuck causing the speed to increase to approximately 65 MPH. The contact indicated that the vehicle would not slow down while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was shifted into…
Engine
8 complaints · 5%The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended, the vehicle exploded. The contact believed the failure was due to the battery. The front left tire message was displayed. The battery was previously replaced. The local dealer was contacted regarding the battery…
Driver assistance
7 complaints · 4%Parts named most often: automatic emergency braking, assist, warning, adaptive cruise control.
Android auto skip and pause on steering wheel stopped working unless infotainment reset daily or re-enter car. Was an abnormal ticking noise coming from the vehicle. The noise sounded as if it were coming from the area of the console/ gear shift
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV recalls
Electrical: software
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Electrical: traction battery
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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
Full defect 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.
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk: A vehicle fire can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Electrical: traction battery
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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 re
Full defect 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.
Seat belts: critical fasteners
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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 number for this recall is n202322230.
Full defect summary
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 belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.
Brakes: caliper
Risk: If a brake caliper fractures and brake fluid is lost, the vehicle may experience reduced brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Gm's number for this recall is n202321400.
Full defect summary
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.
Doors and locks: latch
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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
Summary
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 electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 kg or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after march 1, 2021.on january 27, 2023, NHTSA opened defect petition (dp) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Electric vehicle battery fires
Summary
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 caught fire during or after electrical charging.odi's review found vehicle thermal events occurred during and/or at the end of the battery module charging cycle. The information learned from NHTSA and general motors joint vehicle inspections prompted general motors to file recall 20v-701 on april 29, 20
Questions about the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV
- What are the most common problems with the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (94 complaints, typically around 35,000 miles); fuel system (30 complaints); steering (22 complaints).
- How many recalls does the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV have?
- 8 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from October 31, 2024 (electrical). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2020 a bad year for the Chevrolet Bolt EV?
- It is the 3rd most complained-about Bolt EV model year since 2000, with 174 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.