repaired · 2025 Q4
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk. A fire increases the risk of injury.
2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 179 owner complaints about the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 20V-701 the manufacturer reports only 64% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 29, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV has problems
179 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
85Electrical system9 crash/fire/injury
47Steering
44Fuel/propulsion system3 crash/fire/injury
13Power train
5Service brakes
5Forward collision avoidance
4Visibility/wiper
3Lane departure
3Seat belts
159 other systems1 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 85 | 9 |
| Steering | 47 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 44 | 3 |
| Power train | 13 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 5 | 0 |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 1 |
| Lane departure | 3 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 |
| 9 other systems | 15 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
6 recalls
2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2025 Q1
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk. A vehicle fire can increase the risk of injury.
repaired · 2024 Q1
Propulsion system: traction battery
Park outsideRisk. A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
repaired · 2021 Q4
Propulsion system: traction battery
Park outsideRisk. A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Show 2 more recalls
repaired · 2022 Q1
Doors: latch
Risk. 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.
repaired · 2020 Q1
Disc: caliper
Risk. A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Steering
8 owners mentioned a cost$3,200median
Middle half: $2,775 – $3,500
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2019 vs. every other Bolt EV year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Bolt EV median. How we score
'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'27
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV safety ratings
2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV 5 HB FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 5 stars (9.7% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: Optional
- Lane departure warning: Optional
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV, and the recalls they led to.
- Pedestrian alert soundsLed to recall 22V-063
- Electric Vehicle Battery FiresLed to recall 20V-701
In owners' words
What Bolt EV owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Water has infiltrated the lower trunk area and fried the sound amplifier. The result is no sounds can be heard from the speakers. This includes sounds and warnings from the safety systems. Seat belt, ADAS, BLIS, OnStar, Turn Signals, Radio. The rear hatch seals seem to be intact and it is unclear…
While driving on the freeway at 65 mph during morning rush-hour, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated without warning and came to a stop. The vehicle was barely able to make it to the shoulder before losing all momentum. There is a high-risk of a fatal collision when a vehicle unexpectedly stops or…
Vehicle without warning stopped moving while making a left turn in an intersection at night. Power to dashboard was on but no propulsion, brakes or steering. Was unable to put car into gear to move forward or in reverse. Message was displayed, "Unable to Initalize Propulsion System" Extremely…
Own a 2019 Bolt EV?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.