2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV

Typical pattern

3.2% of complaints about the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2020 vehicle — around the middle of the 178 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 3.3 yr in service. The most-reported system is electrical system (95 complaints), typically at 2.6 yr or about 35,000 miles.

Complaints: 247
Median age at failure: 3.3 yr
Median mileage: 6,600 n=33
Crash / fire / tow: 7.7% of reports
Safety recalls: 8 3 do not drive

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

24V812000 2024-10-31 Do not drive

Electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Bolt EUV vehicles previously repaired under Recall 21V-650. The installation of advanced diagnostic software may have failed. As such, the high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.

A battery fire increases the risk of injury.

24V481000 2024-06-27 Do not drive

Electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV vehicles that were previously remedied under recall number 21V-650. The advanced diagnostic software may have been incorrectly installed and fail to detect defective battery modules, possibly resulting in a battery fire.

A battery fire increases the risk of injury.

21V650000 2021-08-20 Do not drive

Electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV vehicles. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.

A battery fire increases the risk of injury.

23V845000 2023-12-14

Structure:body:roof and pillars

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. This recall includes certain vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under NHTSA recall number 22V-930. After a crash with seat belt pretensioner deployment, the pretensioner exhaust may ignite carpet fibers near the B-pillar, causing a fire.

A fire increases the risk of injury.

22V930000 2022-12-15

Structure:body:roof and pillars

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. After a crash with seat belt pretensioner deployment, the pretensioner exhaust may ignite carpet fibers near the B-pillar, causing a fire.

A vehicle fire can increase the risk of injury.

20V811000 2020-12-23

Seat belts

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.

If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

20V808000 2020-12-22

Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. These vehicles may have an improperly cast front left brake caliper that can fracture during a high-pressure braking event.

If a brake caliper fractures and brake fluid is lost, the vehicle may experience reduced brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.

20V184000 2020-03-26

Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The door-handle cable inside the rear doors may be too long, allowing contact with the window when it is opened, possibly damaging the cable. A damaged cable may cause the rear door to open unintentionally when the rear window is opened. Additionally, it may cause the rear inside door handle to not work.

If the rear door opens while driving, or the door handle fails to open the rear door, there is an increased risk of injury to the rear passengers.

In owners’ own words

Electrical system 500 mi 4 mo in service crash / fire / tow

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 CHEVROLET BOLT EV. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS IN "L" MODE BEFORE THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD INTO THE WALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER (HERITAGE CHEVROLET OWING MILLS: 11234 REISTERSTOWN RD, OWINGS MILLS, MD 21117) BUT IT WAS UNKNOWN IF THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500.

Electrical system mileage not reported 2.0 yr in service

Vehicle has a known fire hazard. Vehicle is unsafe to be operated in the way it was intended(and as sold to me). Limitations on charging make the vehicle unusable. Only way to make the vehicle usable, makes it a fire hazard. No remedy is available, which means the car is unusable with no end in sight. Unacceptable for a new vehicle.

Electrical system mileage not reported 2.0 yr in service

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number 21V650000 (Electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Fuel / propulsion 10 mi 1.3 yr in service

ACCELERATOR PEDAL GETS STUCK ON FLOOR MAT AND REQUIRES PULLING IT UP WITH YOUR TOES TO STOP ACCELERATION. I HAVE A 10 SECOND VIDEO I CAN SHARE DOCUMENTING THIS. I CONTACTED CHEVY CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE TODAY AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD REFER THE CASE[XXX] -- TO THE "APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT". I AM WORRIED IT WILL BE LOST IN THE BUREAUCRACY, SO I AM CONTACTING YOU ALSO. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Other Bolt EV model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Bolt EV model years

How to read this