2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV Owner Complaints

WHILE APPROACHING A BUSY INTERSECTION OF A BUSY CITY STREET, AS COMING TO A STOP FIRST USING REGENERATIVE BRAKING, THEN APPLYING THE MECHANICAL BRAKES, THE GAUGE CLUSTER READ "LIMITED DRIVING CAPABILITY" (OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT). AS I CAME TO A STOP THE CAR SHIFTED ITSELF TO PARK AND APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE. I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE AND TAKE OFF THE PARKING BRAKE, WITH NO SUCCESS. THE VEHICLE INSTRUCTED TO GO BACK INTO PARK, WHICH IT DID WITHOUT MY INTERVENTION. I TRIED REVERSE AND NEUTRAL WITH NO EFFECT. ALL OTHER ELECTRONICS APPEARED TO WORK PROPERLY. I PUT ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS. I TRIED TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON BY PRESSING THE START BUTTON, BUT THE CAR REBOOTED SHOWING A GLOBE LIKE GRAPHIC WHICH SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF "RE-INITIALIZING". POLICE WERE CALLED AT THIS POINT AS I WAS LIMITING SAFE TRAFFIC MOVEMENT BY BLOCKING A LANE. I ATTEMPTED THE RESTARTING PROCEDURE REPETITIVELY, WITH NO SUCCESS TO GET THE VEHICLE MOVING AGAIN. A TOW TRUCK WAS REQUIRED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROAD AS THE ROAD WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO TRY PUSHING THE VEHICLE, AND THE CAR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO NEUTRAL. MY DEALERSHIP STATES THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE THE "TRANSMISSION" TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.

8/31/2018

ON MARCH 17, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:45P.M., WE PARKED THE BOLT IN THE DRIVEWAY OF OUR HOME. WE EXITED THE BOLT AND PLUGGED IT INTO OUR JUICEBOX (LEVEL 2) CHARGER AS USUAL. AT APPROXIMATELY 5:00 PM, WE WERE ALERTED THAT THE BOLT WAS ON FIRE. WE DISCOVERED SMOKE BILLOWING OUT OF THE REAR OF THE BOLT AND THE BOLT APPARENTLY COMBUSTING FROM WITHIN IN THE AREA OF THE BATTERY CELLS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND TOOK APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS TO CONTROL THE FIRE AND SMOKE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EVACUATED US, OUR DOWNSTAIRS NEIGHBORS, AND BOTH UNITS OF THE HOME NEXT DOOR DURING THE FIRE. THE FUMES FROM THE BURNING MATERIALS WAS SO THICK AND NOXIOUS IT PERMEATED OUR HOME, REQUIRING PROFESSIONAL CLEANING. WE EXPERIENCED HEADACHES FOLLOWING CONTACT WITH THE SMOKE. THE BOLT IS A TOTAL LOSS. IT TOOK CHEVY A FEW DAYS TO RESPOND TO OUR CLAIM. EVENTUALLY CHEVY SENT TWO ENGINEERS FROM DETROIT TO OUR DRIVEWAY TO INSPECT THE JUICE BOX. CHEVY PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY.

7/8/2019

THIS VEHICLE AS 42987 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND HAS BEEN USED ONLY IN STANDARD HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE STEERING STARTED TO MAKE A "CLICKING" NOISE AND BECAME HARDER TO HANDLE. A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON IN CHEVROLET BOLT CARS, OFTEN OCCURRING WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN A FEW THOUSAND MILES. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER WHO RAN A COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC THAT SHOWED THE CAR'S STEERING WAS OPERATING "WITHIN MANUFACTURER'S SPECS." I WAS ABLE TO PERSUADE THE DEALER TO DO AN ADDITIONAL EXAMINATION. THE TECH DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING RACK/GEAR ASSEMBLY WAS SHOT AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPAIRED SIMPLY BY RE-TORQUING THE STEERING HEAD BOLTS. THE COST OF REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE STEERING RACK WAS QUOTED AT $2,033. POSTS ON THE INTERNET SUGGEST THAT THE DEFECTIVE STEERING RACK IS OFTEN DISCOVERED BY OWNERS WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND THEN REPAIRED BY CHEVROLET. WHAT IS NOT CLEAR IS HOW OFTEN THE DEFECTIVE STEERING RACK IS DISCOVERED JUST AFTER THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY (THE "BUMPER TO BUMPER" WARRANTY ON A BOLT IS ONLY 36,000 MILES, SO MY DEFECTIVE STEERING RACK FAILED JUST AFTER THE END OF THE WARRANTY AND CHEVROLET WILL NOT COVER THIS DEFECT.) I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE NHTSA INVESTIGATE HOW OFTEN THIS DEFECT OCCURS AND ORDER A RECALL.

12/31/2020

Steering on this vehicle failed at less than 40,000 miles. Car is almost uncontrollable and drifts off the road; steering now requires enormous force to maintain a straight course.

8/21/2021

WHILE APPROACHING A BUSY INTERSECTION OF A BUSY CITY STREET, AS COMING TO A STOP FIRST USING REGENERATIVE BRAKING, THEN APPLYING THE MECHANICAL BRAKES, THE GAUGE CLUSTER READ "LIMITED DRIVING CAPABILITY" (OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT). AS I CAME TO A STOP THE CAR SHIFTED ITSELF TO PARK AND APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE. I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE AND TAKE OFF THE PARKING BRAKE, WITH NO SUCCESS. THE VEHICLE INSTRUCTED TO GO BACK INTO PARK, WHICH IT DID WITHOUT MY INTERVENTION. I TRIED REVERSE AND NEUTRAL WITH NO EFFECT. ALL OTHER ELECTRONICS APPEARED TO WORK PROPERLY. I PUT ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS. I TRIED TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON BY PRESSING THE START BUTTON, BUT THE CAR REBOOTED SHOWING A GLOBE LIKE GRAPHIC WHICH SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF "RE-INITIALIZING". POLICE WERE CALLED AT THIS POINT AS I WAS LIMITING SAFE TRAFFIC MOVEMENT BY BLOCKING A LANE. I ATTEMPTED THE RESTARTING PROCEDURE REPETITIVELY, WITH NO SUCCESS TO GET THE VEHICLE MOVING AGAIN. A TOW TRUCK WAS REQUIRED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROAD AS THE ROAD WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO TRY PUSHING THE VEHICLE, AND THE CAR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO NEUTRAL. MY DEALERSHIP STATES THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE THE "TRANSMISSION" TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.

8/31/2018

35% REDUCTION IN RANGE WITH NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, ADDITIONAL 27% REDUCTION IN RANGE AFTER COURTESY RECALL #18125 LOS OF PROPULSION HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY WITHOUT NOTIFICATION. GM ACKNOWLEDGES RANGE LOSS, THEY INFORMED ME THIS IS NORMAL, UNABLE TO USE VEHICLE FOR WORK COMMUTING

2/27/2019

THE BOLT EV HAS A STEERING-WHEEL MOUNTED REGENERATIVE BREAKING PADDLE, WHICH APPLIES THE REGENERATIVE BREAKING, SLOWING THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, WHEN THE BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED, THIS PADDLE DOES NOTHING, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN SOME NEAR MISSES. A WARNING INDICATOR SHOULD BE PRESENT, OR THE DOCUMENTATION SHOULD SUGGEST ENABLING "HILLTOP RESERVE" TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO CHEVY, BUT NO RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED.

2/13/2018

WHILE APPROACHING A BUSY INTERSECTION OF A BUSY CITY STREET, AS COMING TO A STOP FIRST USING REGENERATIVE BRAKING, THEN APPLYING THE MECHANICAL BRAKES, THE GAUGE CLUSTER READ "LIMITED DRIVING CAPABILITY" (OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT). AS I CAME TO A STOP THE CAR SHIFTED ITSELF TO PARK AND APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE. I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE AND TAKE OFF THE PARKING BRAKE, WITH NO SUCCESS. THE VEHICLE INSTRUCTED TO GO BACK INTO PARK, WHICH IT DID WITHOUT MY INTERVENTION. I TRIED REVERSE AND NEUTRAL WITH NO EFFECT. ALL OTHER ELECTRONICS APPEARED TO WORK PROPERLY. I PUT ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS. I TRIED TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON BY PRESSING THE START BUTTON, BUT THE CAR REBOOTED SHOWING A GLOBE LIKE GRAPHIC WHICH SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF "RE-INITIALIZING". POLICE WERE CALLED AT THIS POINT AS I WAS LIMITING SAFE TRAFFIC MOVEMENT BY BLOCKING A LANE. I ATTEMPTED THE RESTARTING PROCEDURE REPETITIVELY, WITH NO SUCCESS TO GET THE VEHICLE MOVING AGAIN. A TOW TRUCK WAS REQUIRED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROAD AS THE ROAD WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO TRY PUSHING THE VEHICLE, AND THE CAR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO NEUTRAL. MY DEALERSHIP STATES THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE THE "TRANSMISSION" TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.

8/31/2018

35% REDUCTION IN RANGE WITH NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, ADDITIONAL 27% REDUCTION IN RANGE AFTER COURTESY RECALL #18125 LOS OF PROPULSION HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY WITHOUT NOTIFICATION. GM ACKNOWLEDGES RANGE LOSS, THEY INFORMED ME THIS IS NORMAL, UNABLE TO USE VEHICLE FOR WORK COMMUTING

2/27/2019

WITH THE VEHICLE IN THE "L" MODE DRIVING FORWARD, ON BOTH CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS,THE REGEN BRAKING DOES NOT CONSISTENTLY ENGAGE, THEREBY CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP THE CAR IN TIME WITH THE REGULAR BRAKES TO AVOID A COLLISION. IT HAS BEEN TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS A TOTAL OF 6 TIMES WITH NO RESOLUTION OF THE ISSUE. DEALERSHIP #1 WAS NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP #2 HAD TECH RIDE WITH ME AND PROBLEM OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. TECH STATED HE WOULD HAVE TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE. CHEVY SEEMS TO DENY THIS IS A PROBLEM. I'M VERY CONCERNED THIS WILL RESULT IN A REAR END OR PEDESTRIAN COLLISION.

10/24/2019

THE BOLT EV HAS A STEERING-WHEEL MOUNTED REGENERATIVE BREAKING PADDLE, WHICH APPLIES THE REGENERATIVE BREAKING, SLOWING THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, WHEN THE BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED, THIS PADDLE DOES NOTHING, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN SOME NEAR MISSES. A WARNING INDICATOR SHOULD BE PRESENT, OR THE DOCUMENTATION SHOULD SUGGEST ENABLING "HILLTOP RESERVE" TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO CHEVY, BUT NO RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED.

2/13/2018

AT 25,000 MILES MY BRAKE PADS ARE CRUMBLING AND THE ROTOR ARE SCORED AND POCK MARKED .. I DRIVE THE CAR IN L MODE EXCLUSIVELY AND I DON'T USE THE BRAKES. ED SHUTS CHEVY CADILLAC SAYS THE BRAKES ARE WARRANTED. I SAY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THEY SHOULD NOT WEAR OUT OR CRUMBLE IF I DON'T USE THEM ON A 2 YEAR OLD CAR.

4/16/2021

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, "SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN" APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE SEIZED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO POWER OFF THE VEHICLE WITH THE START BUTTON. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO FAULKNER CHEVROLET OF LANCASTER (LOCATED AT 2000 BENNET AVE, LANCASTER, PA 17601, (717) 299-0961) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVE MODULE, INVERTER, AND A POWER CABLE (HARNESS) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,403.

7/29/2019

THE FIRST YEAR OF THE LEASE, THE MAIN COMPUTER BEGAN TO FAIL AND THE ENTIRE SCREEN WOULD BECOME BLACK, WITH THE ENTIRE CAR INTERMITTENTLY LOSING POWER ON THE FREEWAY. THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED. LATER ON, THE BLIND SPOT SENSORS BECAME ERRATIC, BUT THIS IS LIKELY DUE TO A SHODDY REPAIR BY THE DEALERSHIP AFTER SOMEONE REAR-ENDED THE CAR. THE PRIMARY CONCERN IS THE POWERTRAIN. THE BATTERY RANGE DECREASED BY NEARLY HALF WHILE DRIVING, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS IN A REMOTE LOCATION. THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE BATTERY MODULES ON THE 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT.

10/20/2020

THE BOLT EV HAS A STEERING-WHEEL MOUNTED REGENERATIVE BREAKING PADDLE, WHICH APPLIES THE REGENERATIVE BREAKING, SLOWING THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, WHEN THE BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED, THIS PADDLE DOES NOTHING, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN SOME NEAR MISSES. A WARNING INDICATOR SHOULD BE PRESENT, OR THE DOCUMENTATION SHOULD SUGGEST ENABLING "HILLTOP RESERVE" TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO CHEVY, BUT NO RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED.

2/13/2018

ON FRIDAY, DEC 27, 2019, AS I WAS PARKING IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, USING "L" MODE, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. IF I HADN'T SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, THE BOLT WOULD HAVE HIT THE CAR PARKED ABOUT 15 FT AHEAD OF ME. TWO OTHER PEOPLE WERE IN THE CAR AT THE TIME, AND WE ALL SHARED THE PERCEPTION THAT THE CAR HAD SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. WE WERE ALL SCARED, AND WE ALL BELIEVE THIS CAR IS UNSAFE. DETAILS: THE CAR WAS CHARGED TO ABOUT 50% CAPACITY, THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 50F, HUMIDITY AT 65%, THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR, AND THE PAVEMENT WAS DRY. AFTER A 10 MINUTE DRIVE, I PULLED UP ALONG THE CURB IN FRONT MY HOME, AS USUAL, AND HAD NEARLY STOPPED, WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD ON ITS OWN. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES AND STOP THE CAR BEFORE IT PLOWED INTO ANOTHER CAR PARKED ABOUT 15 FEET IN FRONT OF WHERE I WAS. I HAD BEEN DRIVING OUR BOLT IN "L" MODE (AUTOMATIC REGENERATIVE-BRAKING), WHICH IS MY HABIT, SO I AM ACCUSTOMED TO THE CHARACTERISTICS OF STOPPING THE CAR IN "L" MODE. I HAVE TRIED TO REPLICATE THIS BEHAVIOR BY THE CAR SINCE, BUT SO FAR HAVE BEEN UNABLE. THIS WAS NOT A CASE OF MISTAKENLY PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, BECAUSE IN "L" MODE (WHERE I PARKED), THE CAR WILL STOP BY ITSELF, JUST BY EASING MY FOOT OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR. AND NOTE THAT I QUICKLY STEPPED ON THE BRAKE. I TOOK THE CAR TO A GM DEALERSHIP, AND THEY DIDN'T FIND A PROBLEM IN THE OBD CODES. THEY SAID THEY WOULD SEND DETAILED LOGS TO GM. BUT IT HAS BEEN OVER A WEEK, AND GM HAS YET TO CONTACT ME. THIS CAR FREQUENTLY HAS OTHER PROBLEMS THAT APPEAR TO BE DUE TO COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INCLUDING: - PROBLEMS STARTING - PROBLEMS CHARGING - THE CENTER CONSOLE DISPLAY FREEZING, LEADING TO: CAMERAS REMAINING ON WHILE I DRIVE, OR LOSS OF HVAC CONTROLS SEE A SIMILAR REPORT AT: HTTPS://WWW.NHTSA.GOV/VEHICLE/2018/CHEVROLET/BOLT#COMPLAINTS ISSUE # 11270898

1/12/2020

FRONT WIPERS CAN FREEZE AND TO BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD AND BECOME IMMOBILIZED WHILE DRIVING, IMPAIRING VISIBILITY. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES THIS WINTER, OUR FIRST WITH THIS CAR, WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WHEN OUTDOOR TEMP WAS ABOUT 25 DEG F, EVEN THOUGH CAR INTERIOR TEMPS WERE COMFORTABLE. DEFROST HEAT DUCT ON DASHBOARD HITS GLASS SEVERAL INCHES ABOVE WIPERS AND DOES NOT ADEQUATELY HEAT THE LOWERMOST WINDSHIELD WHERE WIPERS REST AT BOTTOM OF SWIPE. SEEMS LIKE A COUPLE OF INCHES OF LAMINATED HEATING ELEMENTS SIMILAR TO THE REAR WINDOW SHOULD BE REQUIRED, WITH A BUTTON TO CONTROL IT, AND THERE SHOULD BE A HEATED DRAIN HOLE TO REMOVE THE WATER.

2/23/2019

THE DRIVERS WINDOW HAS VERTICAL SCRATCHES ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE GLASS. MY CAR IS ONE WEEK PAST THE 36 MONTH WARRANTY AND ED SHULTS CHEVY WON'T FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY.

4/16/2021

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that when the driver (his wife) drove at 45mph a vehicle failed to yield the right of way and made a left turn. The driver was unable to stop and crashed into the vehicle's front passenger side and bumper. The contact stated that the driver's air bag and the front passenger air bag failed to deploy causing the driver injuries to the neck, shoulder, sides, right leg, and back. The front passenger was a ten-year-old child who received injuries to the right shoulder. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 22,000.

7/22/2021

2018 CHEVROLET BOLT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ENGINE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE DEALER ADVISED THE BATTERY HAD A BAD CELL AND A PROGRAM ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT OPERATIONAL AND IT WAS UNKNOWN WHEN A FIX WOULD BECOME UNAVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED A REQUESTED A LOANER VEHICLE.

10/25/2021

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while driving at night at an unknown speed, the regen on demand (Rod) was engaged but did not notice any rear illumination. On other occasions, the contact noticed that the vehicles behind were often beeping at her while driving. The vehicle was inspected vehicle while running and the regen on demand (RoD) paddle was activated; however, the rear lights failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

5/22/2023

The steering gear went out at 45k miles and I JUST got the car recently. The steering stays stuck when I turn it and it takes turns very sharply. In snow or rainy conditions,This might be fatal. I checked out a couple of forums online regarding this issue and seems like a lot of people have also encountered it. It’s a $4000 fix when I took it Chevrolet. This should be something Chevrolet recalls, not for us to fix as it could end up in a lot of injuries or ever death.

10/15/2024