Diagsheet

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV · symptom sheet

Battery dies or the car will not start

  • 46owner reports
  • 15,000median miles
  • 0involved a crash

Newest report Aug 7, 2023 · checked Sep 9, 2026

86 of the 175 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 46 of those describe dead battery, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2019 Bolt EV.

Tick what matches of 46 reports

17
15
6

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (46 reports) and the module (4 reports).

Recalls and investigations

2 recalls on the electrical system cover the 2019 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

21V-560Jul 23, 2021
Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction Battery

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 20V-701. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.

Risk and remedy
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (2019 models) 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. Interim notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 13, 2021. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N212343880.
20V-701Nov 13, 2020
Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction Battery

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling all 2017-2018 and certain 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.

Risk and remedy
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: This recall has been superseded by recall number 21V-560. Vehicles previously repaired under 20V-701 will still need to have the new remedy under recall 21V-560. GM will notify owners, and as an interim repair, beginning on November 17, 2020, dealers will reprogram the hybrid propulsion control module 2 (HPCM2) to limit the full charge to 90%, free of charge. Owners are advised to activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (2019 models) feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, or park outside, until the software update is completed. Owners were notified of the interim repair beginning November 17, 2020. The second notice was mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N202311730.

NHTSA investigations into the electrical system on the Bolt EV

PE24-028opened Oct 3, 2024
Equipment · model years 2018

Electrical arcing and thermal events, potentially leading to fires, while utilizing enel x way usa, llc's juicebox residential charger.. Closed jun 5, 2025.

NHTSA summary
On October 3, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE24028 to investigate alleged failures of Enel X Way's JuiceBox Level 2 residential EV chargers. The allegations were described as thermal incidents and electrical malfunctions, which could trip the circuit breakers in Juicebox owners’ homes and disrupt electric vehicle charge cycles. On October 2, 2024, Enel X Way posted on its website that Enel X Way North America would cease operations in the United States and Canada on October 11, 2024. The closure would potentially impact the charging app and supporting software. ODI sent Enel X Way an Information Request (IR) letter on October 21, 2024. Enel X Way provided an incomplete response to the IR on December 9, 2024. Enel X Way later provided a complete response to the IR on January 24, 2025. ODI reviewed Enel X Way’s IR submissions to determine whether further action is required. Based on ODI’s analysis, there was no clear trend in the cause of the failures described in customer complaints and warranty reports. Additionally, there have been no recent reports alleging safety issues. The available information does not warrant further action at this time. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency will continue to monitor for any safety trends and reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in this C
DP22-005opened Jan 27, 2023
Electrical · model years 2017 to 2022

Pedestrian alert sounds. Closed aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V-063.

NHTSA 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 matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
PE20-016opened Oct 9, 2020
Electrical · model years 2017 to 2020

Electric vehicle battery fires. Closed feb 7, 2022, led to recall 20V-701.

NHTSA 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, 2021. The remedy for this recall included 1) performing diagnostic procedures to identify and replace potentially defective battery cell-module assemblies and 2) installing onboard diagnostic software, designed to detect and warn owners regarding potential issues related to changes in battery module performance over time. Until this interim remedy became available for all affected vehicles, General Motors instructed their customers to enable ?Hilltop Reserve or ?Target Charge Level, based on the vehicle-equipped technology. Enabling these technologies would limit charging capacity of the battery module to a maximum of 90 percent. General Motors then continued to investigate the root cause of these battery cell module thermal events, which would lead them to their long-term recall remedy solu

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 7,200 and 18,106 miles, from the 11 reports that gave a mileage.

119
320
3621
522
123

What owners wrote

“The car's AC, which cools the battery stopped working. The vehicle says to be serviced immidiately but Chevrolet has not found a local dealer or mechanic in Puerto Rico (where my car is currently situated) that can service it. I am afraid the car will light on fire because the car already has a battery recall, which they have yet to resolve as well.”

Filed Jan 31, 2022

“The Bolt has been recalled for a faulty battery issue, with no known timeline for repair. I have been told not to charge overnight, park indoors, let it drop below 70 miles or charge above 90%, and to park 50 feet away for other cars when charging and not let it charge unsupervised. The guidelines provided by GM are causing the vehicle to be out of service, as they make charging and driving the vehicle impossible.”

Filed Sep 16, 2021

“Battery pack is failed and needs replacing, attempts have already been made to no avail. We should have our batteries replaced at no expense along with loaner provided until completed. Than you”

Filed Jul 25, 2021

“This is the second recall for a faulty battery. There is severe limitation on how I’m supposed to use my car. If I don’t follow it there is a risk of fire putting me and my family at risk. I have to charge the car or I will not have a way to work. The batteries are clearly faulty and should be replaced. They knew doing half measures putting all owners at risk.”

Filed Jul 24, 2021

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 46 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.