2017 Chevrolet BOLT EV

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2017 Chevrolet BOLT EV has 460 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 5.8x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is steering problems (26% of all complaints), specifically: the steering is binding and sticky. the car will not re-center it self in the road after making a turn. all of the oil apparently leaked out of this sealed rack and pinion and is now dry and you have to use extra effort to keep the car centered while driving and to make turns and be ready to fight i. ⚠️ 5 fire reports filed.

5 fire reports 13 crash reports 4 injuries

460

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

5.8x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

STEERING

118 complaints

26%

• THE STEERING IS BINDING AND STICKY. THE CAR WILL NOT RE-CENTER IT SELF IN THE ROAD AFTER MAKING A TURN. ALL OF THE OIL APPARENTLY LEAKED OUT OF THIS SEALED RACK AND PINION AND IS NOW DRY AND YOU HAVE TO USE EXTRA EFFORT TO KEEP THE CAR CENTERED WHILE DRIVING AND TO MAKE TURNS AND BE READY TO FIGHT I
• REAR BACKUP CAMERA DISPLAY FREEZES AFTER PLACING VEHICLE IN DRIVE WHICH MAY BECOME DISTRACTION AND CREATE UNSAFE SITUATION FOR DRIVER WHILE MANEUVERING IN PARKING LOT OR ON ROADWAY WHILE OPERATING AT HIGHER SPEEDS ' CAN BE REMEDIED BY MANUALLY RESTARTING INFORTAINMENT SYSTEM/POWERING OFF/RESTARTING
• Sway bar components and steering making noises and excessive movement. These issues were noticeable just after 3yr 36k limited warranty had expired (approx 23k miles on vehicle). Items later found to be faulty by dealership, GM gave significant pushback and offered limited assistance with repairs

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“THE STEERING IS BINDING AND STICKY. THE CAR WILL NOT RE-CENTER IT SELF IN THE ROAD AFTER MAKING A TURN. ALL OF THE OIL APPARENTLY LEAKED OUT OF THIS SEALED RACK AND PINION AND IS NOW DRY AND YOU HAVE TO USE EXTRA EFFORT TO KEEP THE CAR CENTERED WHILE DRIVING AND TO MAKE TURNS AND BE READY TO FIGHT I”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

114 complaints

25%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET BOLT EV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A FEATURE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL THAT SLOWED THE VEHICLE DOWN AND GENERATED ENERGY TO CHARGE THE BATTERY. WHILE DRIVING 25-35 MPH, THE CONTACT UTILIZED THE ENERGY SAVING FEATURE. INSTEAD OF THE
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET BOLT EV. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE "PROPULSION" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CAPITOL CHEVROLET (905 CAPITOL EXPRESSWAY AUTO MALL, SAN JOSE, CA 95136) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED
• I RECEIVED A "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION" CALL FROM CHEVROLET TELLING ME THAT MY CAR MAY EXPERIENCE "LOSS OF PROPULSION" AND STOP SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING DUE TO LOW CHARGE DESPITE THE BATTERY INDICATOR SHOWING CHARGE. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR 8 MONTHS AND IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD THAT SHOULD

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 4 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET BOLT EV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A FEATURE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL THAT SLOWED THE VEHICLE DOWN AND GENERATED ENERGY TO CHARGE THE BATTERY. WHILE DRIVING 25-35 MPH, THE CONTACT UTILIZED THE ENERGY SAVING FEATURE. INSTEAD OF THE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

70 complaints

15%

• SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH THE MESSAGE PROPULSION POWER REDUCED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE AND READ WHAT THE WARNING LIGHT MEANT AND DECIDED TO HEAD HOME. I STOPPED ON THE WAY HOME AT THE GROCERY STORE AND WHEN I CAME BACK OUT AND STARTED THE CAR THE WARNIN
• DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (60-70MPH) WITH THE BATTERY AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE 50%, AN ALERT SOUNDED, AND THE BATTERY LEVEL IMMEDIATELY WENT DOWN TO NEARLY ZERO. IT ESTIMATED 10 MILES LEFT, BUT SPEED IMMEDIATELY DECREASED, AND THE ACCELERATOR STOPPED WORKING. AFTER RAPIDLY COASTING OVER TO THE SHOULDER, AN
• THIS VEHICLE HAS ABRUPTLY GONE TO ZERO RANGE AND ENTERED A REDUCED POWER MODE EVEN THOUGH THE BATTERY SHOWED SUFFICENT RANGE SECONDS EARLIER. AFTER STOPPING, GETTING OUT AND KEYING UP AGAIN, THE CAR STAYED AT ZERO RANGE AND DISPLAYED A CHARGE NOW MESSAGE. THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED ON JANUARY 1

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH THE MESSAGE PROPULSION POWER REDUCED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE AND READ WHAT THE WARNING LIGHT MEANT AND DECIDED TO HEAD HOME. I STOPPED ON THE WAY HOME AT THE GROCERY STORE AND WHEN I CAME BACK OUT AND STARTED THE CAR THE WARNIN”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

32 complaints

• BACKUP CAMERA AND SOUND SYSTEM WILL NOT TURN OFF (FREEZE).
• TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT/TRANSMISSION FAILURE. NEW VEHICLE (105 MILES), AT STARTUP, WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO D OR R. HAD TO BE TOWED.
• MY BOLT EV COMES EQUIPPED WITH THE OPTIONAL SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT SYSTEM WHICH LIGHTS UP IN MY SIDE VIEW MIRRORS WHEN ACTIVATED BY A CAR IN MY BLIND ZONE. THIS WINTER THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED BOTH WHEN A VEHICLE WAS IN MY BLIND ZONE AND AT MANY OTHER TIMES AS WELL. MY CHEVROLET DEALER WAS U

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“BACKUP CAMERA AND SOUND SYSTEM WILL NOT TURN OFF (FREEZE).”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

27 complaints

• THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT IS TOO EASY TO PUT THE CAR IN "PARK" BY ACCIDENT. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I WAS TRYING TO GO FROM THE "L" POSITION TO THE "R" POSITION. TO DO SO REQUIRES YOU TO PRESS THE SIDE BUTTON AND MANEUVER THE SHIFTER TO THE R POSITION. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DOING SO, I INADVERTENT
• STOPPED AT STORE1/24/2018 WHEN TRIED TO RESTART, RECEIVED TRANSMISSION WARNING SERVICE SIGN, UNABLE TO MOVE ATTEMPTED 3 MORE TIMES OVER 2 HOURS. FINALLY IT RAN, BUT SERVICE TRANSMISSION LIGHT STAYED ON. TOOK TO DEALER. TOLD IT WAS A COMPUTER UPDATE THAT WAS NEEDED, IT HASN'T HAPPENED SINCE. REV
• ON 2018-07-26 AT APPROXIMATELY 2325H, VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT ~70MPH NORTHBOUND ON I-95, THE MAINE TURNPIKE. LOCATION WAS APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE NORTH OF EXIT-32 (BIDDEFORD, ME). ROAD CONDITIONS WERE GOOD, TEMPERATURES IN THE MID-70F, HUMID. THE OWNER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING, WITH HER HUSBAND IN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT IS TOO EASY TO PUT THE CAR IN "PARK" BY ACCIDENT. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I WAS TRYING TO GO FROM THE "L" POSITION TO THE "R" POSITION. TO DO SO REQUIRES YOU TO PRESS THE SIDE BUTTON AND MANEUVER THE SHIFTER TO THE R POSITION. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DOING SO, I INADVERTENT”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 460 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
STEERING: THE STEERING IS BINDING AND STICKY. THE CAR WILL NOT RE-CENTER IT SELF IN THE ROAD AFTER MAKING A TURN. ALL OF THE OIL APPARENTLY LEAKED OUT OF THIS SEALED RACK AND PINION AND IS NOW DRY AND YOU HAVE TO USE EXTRA EFFORT TO KEEP THE CAR CENTERED WHILE DRIVING AND TO MAKE TURNS AND BE READY TO FIGHT I
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET BOLT EV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A FEATURE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL THAT SLOWED THE VEHICLE DOWN AND GENERATED ENERGY TO CHARGE THE BATTERY. WHILE DRIVING 25-35 MPH, THE CONTACT UTILIZED THE ENERGY SAVING FEATURE. INSTEAD OF THE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH THE MESSAGE PROPULSION POWER REDUCED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE AND READ WHAT THE WARNING LIGHT MEANT AND DECIDED TO HEAD HOME. I STOPPED ON THE WAY HOME AT THE GROCERY STORE AND WHEN I CAME BACK OUT AND STARTED THE CAR THE WARNIN
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: BACKUP CAMERA AND SOUND SYSTEM WILL NOT TURN OFF (FREEZE).
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)