2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV Fuel System Problems

After driving the car for roughly 60-75 minutes while at highway speeds and within the posted speed limits: 65mph-75mph, the car will chime and the driver information panel will flash "Propulsion Reduced." At that point, the vehicle's electrical propulsion will gradually reduce to a maximum output power of roughly 20KW. The propulsion will stay capped at 20KW for a bit of time (15-20 minutes) and then gradually the cap will increase. Unfortunately, on I-25 in southern Colorado where this usually occurs, the speed limit is 75mph and and 20KW of propulsion results in the vehicle traveling on the interstate at roughly 45-55mph which results in very unsafe situations. That road has a minimum speed of 55mph. This happened on the first day that I purchased the car, I can reproduce it with my family in the car, but the dealer has been unable to reproduce it. I have had the Chevrolet dealership inspect it multiple times, but they can not find a fault. It has happened when ambient temperatures are as low as 28F and as high as 98F there does not appear to be a correlation there. I have had it happen when the battery has a SOC of 70% and as low as 25%, that also does not show a correlation. I have seen a correlation with passengers/weight in the vehicle as that requires more KW of output to propel the car. Likewise, consistent average speed has a correlation. If traveling at 75mph (posted speed limit) the propulsion reduction will occur sooner rather than traveling at 73mph.

The battery recall on this vehicle has NOT been fixed by GM, your database is incorrect. The vehicle is still a fire/explosion hazard. GM's is not in compliance with NHTSA Recall 21V560 on the Chevy Bolt EV for myslef, a US service member ordered to duty in Germany. I am active duty Navy, and was ordered to duty in Stuttgart Germany, with a transfer date in July 2021. At that time Chevy had cleared the recall, so I shipped the vehicle to Germany. However once it arrived here the recall was reinstated. I contacted GM who said to contact Opel in Germany (their local subsidiary). Opel stated that GM in the US would ship them the parts and they would make the repairs. This was nearly a year ago, and so far NO repairs have been done, and the vehicle remains a hazard to me and my family, and cannot be sold or shipped back. Every time we contact GM (or Opel) we are told they are 'preparing to ship parts', and that it should take 8 to 12 weeks. We wait 12 weeks and nothing happens, so we ask them again, and they say wait another 8 to 12 weeks.. At this point I do not believe they have any intention of shipping parts or repairing the vehicle, and are therefore in violation of the NHTSA recall. Note: We are no longer located in Maryland, we are in Germany, but your form does not allow for overseas addresses, or US Forces (APO AE). I suggest you correct your online form, as Americans overseas serving our counry should not be disenfranchised.

There is not a specific incident with my own vehicle, but my complaint lies with all models, including my own, that have been determined to have a high fire risk, particularly the 2019 year model and manufacturing source of my battery. The recently re-activated recall (NHTSA# 21V560) indicates that GM has again recognized the risk of danger but has failed to address the manufacturing defects within their battery systems in a timely manner. After recognizing a battery fire risk over a year ago, GM's initial recall fix was insufficient to effectively reduce the risk of fire and potential harm to property and people. During the previous recall, GM had recommended a reduction of charge to reduce the risk of fire and during this re-issue of the recall has recommended even more restrictions on the charging levels and logisitics of when and how to charge the battery safely. These recommendations over the life of this extended recall has drastically reduced the function and capabilities of the vehicle as implied by GM when I originally purchased the vehicle. Essentially, the safety of my vehicle and therefore of my property and family is at risk, and despite the recent recall, GM has not moved quickly to address this issue by repairing the vehicle to reduce the risk of fire.

We own a 2019 Chevy Bolt affected by the July 23 recall. There have been 9 2019 Bolts that have caught fire. The 2019 Bolts with batteries made in Korea are significantly impacted. We find the level of risk associated with continuing to use the vehicle to be unacceptable. Fire departments need special training to put out EV battery fires. We have no idea if our small local fire department has this kind of training. The new guidelines are difficult and probably inadequate. Parking in the driveway leaves the car still too close to our house. The fires in other cars have occurred 3-6 hours after charging. Could the car catch fire after being driven in that 6 hour window after charging? Could it catch fire while parked near other cars? What if a child was waiting for a parent in that car? With charging to only 90% and not letting the battery drop below 30%, we are left with far less safely usable range than what we paid for when we bought this expensive vehicle. Too many times this week we have watched the range drop with a level of fear that is just not OK. GM already tried to use software to detect defects, and they admit that it failed. They won’t say how things will be different this time. They also won’t say how the replaced cells will work effectively with the older cells. So even after the remedy is applied, can we trust the integrity of the battery pack? GM has given no timeline for this remedy. We have been told loaners or rental vehicles will be offered by GM, we don’t have it in writing and the dealership we are working with seems unaware of this policy and/or unwilling to part with any of its loaners. And we’ve been told that GM will not reimburse until the loaner or rental period ends, leaving owners to front the cost. What about the owners who can’t do that? GM must replace all battery backs, provide vehicle replacements, or buy back the cars from affected owners.

I have a 2019 Chevy Bolt EV, with a potential for the High Voltage Battery to catch on fire. There was a first recall back in Nov. 2020, Manufacture states that there was a final fix for the High Voltage Battery. I took the vehicle in for the final fix. Recently there was a 2019 Chevy Bolt that caught on fire with the final fix for the recall. Now there’s a second recall for the same issues, now I can NOT park my car inside the garage and not charge it at night, because of a potential for the vehicle to change on fire. I have 2 boys that lives about the garage and I live in a Townhouse. This recall is a safety problems for everyone, it poses a safety risk while the vehicle is charging. The vehicle is a safety hazards to the public and building structures.

GM's recall solution is unacceptable and leaves consumers with virtually unusable vehicles if they follow GM's safety recommendations. This situation has been allowed to go on too long and we are lucky that no one has gotten hurt.

The battery in these vehicles is prone to catching on fire when charging, resulting in the complete destruction of the vehicle. GM has been failing to repair these vehicles for over a year. They have now issued a third recall for the same problem with no resolution and guidelines that require owners not to use their vehicles in any reasonable manner. This recall represents a serious danger to life and property, with a fire that could cost untold damages. These vehicles are unsafe, and GM is clearly unwilling or incapable of repairing the defect.

The manufacturer, GM, has failed to remedy this safety recall for my vehicle in a timely manner. The 2019 Bolt EV I purchased from GM presents a real and present danger as a fire risk, while I am being told to limit my vehicle's usage. I cannot easily follow their safety guidelines because this is the only car my family owns -- we cannot simply give up visiting relatives to not deplete the car below 70 miles of range nor can we personally watch the hours it takes to recharge the vehicle outdoors. This renders the vehicle wholly unusable as a modern car that I paid for in a new condition. I do not feel safe putting my daughter in this vehicle, nor parking it in our driveway. In addition, I live in California, and I would be devastated if my vehicle was the cause of a fire in this state. I have called the GM Concierge line 8 different times over the past 8 weeks (I have the records) to attempt a vehicle swap, and every single time after their initial conversation to gather details, GM has not responded to me with any updates. The latest incident was a Bolt EV that exploded in Sacramento. I want a working car, not a lemon waiting to kill me.

On May 11, 2021 I responded to GM's safety recall notice by bringing the car to a local Chevrolet dealer, who performed the service as per GM's instructions. Since then the battery has continued to charge or attempt to charge for several hours after it has been fully charged as indicated by the instrument panel readout and the dashboard indicator. I reported the problem to GM by phone several weeks ago and was instructed to bring the car back to the dealer that had performed the recall service. I did so on July 7 but I wasn't convinced that the dealer appreciated the seriousness of the problem, so I immediately called GM 's EV hotline (866-790-5600 ext. 5912316) where a case was opened. As of July 18 I am still waiting for further instructions from GM. My case number is 9-6818768332.

Component: We don't know for sure. The was a recall on the battery, and several other of these cars have had thier batteries explode in similar fashion. The primary remnants of the car are missing and are being investigated as being stolen and are unavailable for inspection. The melted remnants of the car left in the driveway are still available. Safety: We inhaled toxic vapors. Our home has been severely damaged. If the incident had happened in the middle of the night instead of in the morning, our neighbors wouldn't have been awake to call 911 and my wife and I could have died when the fire spread to the house. Has the problem been reproduced? Unknown, though this is a known issue that has happened to other cars. Has the compenent been inspected? No. The wreckage is missing and presumed stolen. Were there any warning messages: I do not believe so. My wife claims she heard a car alarm when we we awakened by the first loud noise. She does not know if the alarm came from our car. In the early AM of 7/2/2021 I awoke to smell an acrid smell. Our neighborhood often has an odd smell, so I went back to sleep. About 6 AM on 7/2/2021 my wife and I were awakend by a loud bang originating outside the house. I investigated and noted a police officer outside my home using a fire extinguisher on my 2019 Chevy Bolt. I saw flames coming from the right passenger side. The police officer asked us to exit our home. I told my wife that the house was on fire, because I believed that's what was happening. When we left the home, I noticed that, at first, it was only the car. The fire got worse very quickly., and the police officer asked us to move farther back.We heard and saw several explosions.The fire spread to the house. At some point the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire, but not before the car was completely consumed and significant damage was done to our home. My wife, I and our pets were all examined for smoke inhalation and the cats were treated.

I was denied the buyback by GM due to the weak lemon law in the state of Michigan. GM should be replacing these batteries if they are not allowing a buyback or trade up. There were 16,418 Bolts produced in the US-market for the model year 2019. If I take a ballpark half of the vehicles with Korean cells, and half of the vehicles produced with cells in Holland Michigan (The Holland cells not having the defect), to-date we are looking at 5 in 8,209 cars catching fire due to the battery defect. That translates to 1 in every 1,641 2019-model-year Korean-cell Bolts catching fire, to-date. Statistically, this number cannot go down. This represents a much higher percentage than what GM is publicly stating. This is a much higher, unacceptable risk. I do not have faith in a software update and battery voltage spread test for the latest "fix." GM is very secretive on what the defect or defects are. A battery may test fine today, as it made it into the production vehicle and passed the test then. Though, tomorrow it may fail due to the defect. When it fails, I don't want my family to be anywhere near it. Please hold GM's feet to the fire on this to prevent the possibility of the unsuspecting consumer to get burned.

My 2019 Chevrolet Bolt Premier has the battery made in Korea that is part of the current investigation Chevrolet is doing, announced yesterday July 14, 2021. This is the announcement from Chevrolet: JULY 14 2021 IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM GENERAL MOTORS General Motors has been notified of two recent Chevrolet Bolt EV fire incidents in vehicles that were remedied as part of the safety recall announced in November 2020. Out of an abundance of caution, we are asking owners of 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVs who were part of the recall population to park their vehicles outdoors immediately after charging and not leave their vehicles charging overnight while we investigate these incidents. This has been a known problem for several months, since November 2020, as noted in Chevrolet's announcement above. I limited my charging to 90% the minute the news broke about the possibility of a battery fire. I have had "the remedy" done to my car, which is all that one can do at this point. live in a condo building in a busy downtown setting and my only parking spot is two levels underground. It is both unsafe and very costly/inconvenient for me to have to park on the street at meters while waiting to hear ANYTHING from Chevy regarding next steps. I want to get my situation on your radar, as I am sure many other Bolt owners do. I want to stop worrying about the potential of a fire that would kill or maim any person or living creature, destroy any property, especially my home, my neighbors' homes, cars, etc. HELP!

FAILURE OF THE "DRIVE MOTOR BATTERY HIGH VOLTAGE MANUAL DISCONNECT LEVER" CAUSED IMMEDIATE AND COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ON THE ROAD.

VEHICLE WAS DOING HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON INTERSTATE 81 IN PENNSYLVANIA IN THE LEFT LANE. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD THUD, FOLLOWED BY RAPID DECELERATION. MANAGED TO BARELY MAKE IT TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER, AND AT THAT POINT THE VEHICLE PUT ITSELF INTO PARK AND REFUSED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. WARNING MESSAGES AND INDICATORS LIT UP ON THE DASHBOARD, AND AN ONSTAR NOTIFICATION EMAIL WAS RECEIVED ON MY PHONE. WAS FORTUNATE TO MAKE IT TO THE SHOULDER, OTHERWISE THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY WITH NO WAY TO MOVE IT OFF THE ACTIVE ROADWAY.

COMPLETE POWER FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING. BRAND NEW VEHICLE (82 MILES DRIVEN). OWNED LESS THAN 72 HOURS. CAR WAS DRIVING UP A VERY SLIGHT GRADE AT 35 MPH. DEALER DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAILURE OF AN EATON MANUFACTURED DRIVE MOTOR BATTERY HIGH VOLTAGE MANUAL DISCONNECT LEVER FUSE. FUSE WAS REPLACED AND CAR RUNS. DEALER OFFERED NO EXPLANATION FOR FUSE FAILURE OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A BAD BATCH OF FUSES. IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE ON 2017 AND 2018 BOLTS SO THE CHANCES OF IT BEING A BAD BATCH ARE VERY SLIM. DEALER ALSO SAID THAT THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON POINT: 18-NA-225. I AM UNABLE TO GET A COPY OF THAT. CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE (1-800-222-1020) SAYS THAT THERE IS NO LONGER A BOLT/VOLT EXPERT ON STAFF. IT REFERRED ME BACK TO THE TECHNICIAN (JON POWELL, 541-245-2140, MEDFORD, OR). IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT JUST A FAULTY FUSE, IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS AN UNDERLYING PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. DEALER WILL NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK; PREFERS INSTEAD TO HAVE US HAVE 2 MORE COMPLETE POWER FAILURES WITHOUT WARNING BEFORE HE WILL CONSIDER THE CAR A "LEMON" UNDER OREGON'S LEMON LAW. THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE RISK.

ON SATURDAY JUNE 1, 2019 I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH. AS I PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY ONTO A SIDE ROAD, THE "LOW PROPULSION" LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL PROPULSION AND COASTED INTO A PARKING LOT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE CHEVY DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR ON MONDAY BUT AS HE DROVE IT INTO THE GARAGE, THE SAME THING HAPPENED, SUDDEN LOSS OF COMPULSION. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED MY CAR WITH CHEVROLET ENGINEERING AND HAD TO ORDER A TRANSMISSION, POWER HARNESS AND A 3RD MAJOR PART. THE SERVICE PERSON SAID THIS HAD HAPPENED TO SEVERAL OTHER 2019 BOLTS. THIS SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE HAD WE LOST PROPULSION ON THE FREEWAY, JUST 5 MINUTES BEFORE WE EXITED THE FREEWAY.