The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·20V701000·Announced 2020-11-13

Chevrolet Bolt EV Recalled Due to High Voltage Battery Fire Risk

General Motors is recalling 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVs because the high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full capacity, increasing the risk of injury.

NHTSA safety advisory

Park this vehicle outside

NHTSA advises parking it away from buildings and other vehicles until the repair is done — the risk exists even when the vehicle is switched off.

This is the agency’s own advisory, not our assessment. Contact the manufacturer or a dealer, and see the official NHTSA notice for the current guidance.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect (high voltage battery) that poses a risk of fire and injury, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating under the rubric for significant injury reports or structural defects.

Plain-English summary

General Motors LLC is recalling all 2017-2018 and certain 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The recall addresses a defect in the high voltage battery, which could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity. This battery fire increases the risk of injury to vehicle occupants and others.

This recall has been superseded by recall number 21V-560. Vehicles previously repaired under the original recall number 20V-701 will still need to have the new remedy applied under recall 21V-560. General Motors will notify owners of this requirement.

As an interim repair beginning November 17, 2020, dealers reprogrammed the hybrid propulsion control module 2 (HPCM2) to limit the full charge to 90% at no cost to the owner. Owners were advised to activate the Hill Top Reserve (for 2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (for 2019 models) feature to limit the charge level to 90%, or to park the vehicle outside, until the software update was completed. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
CHEVROLET BOLT EV
Brand
CHEVROLET
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Category
Vehicle — Electric Vehicle
Hazard
Affected units
50,932

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • BOLT EV

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same brand · CHEVROLET

Same manufacturer · General Motors LLC

See all →

Same hazard · fire

See all →

Similar recalls