2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV Problems, Recalls & Reliability
246 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 52/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 35,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2020 sits among all Bolt EV years
What owners report
“It has been 21 months and I still have not received a new battery for this Chevy Bolt.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Bolt EV
“GM installed Advanced Monitoring Software on the car rather than replace the battery. The software detected a battery fault. Under the battery recall if a fault is detected the battery is replaced free of charge. GM is refusing to replace the battery. Now the car will not move.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Bolt EV
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 31 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 10,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 2,136 and 35,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (8)
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…
Fix: Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Set the Target Charge Level feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, charge their vehicle more frequently, avoid depleting…
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…
Fix: Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Set the Target Charge Level feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, charge their vehicle more frequently, avoid depleting…
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…
Fix: Dealers will inspect both front seat belt pretensioners and, if necessary, install metal foil at the carpet near the pretensioner exhaust. Certain vehicles will also need a pretensioner cover…
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.
Fix: Dealers will install metal foil at the carpet near the pretensioner exhaust, and install a pretensioner cover as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed between January 23,…
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.
Fix: Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Set the Target Charge Level feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, charge their vehicle more frequently, avoid depleting…
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,…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer…
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.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the casting lot number on the front left brake caliper and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may…
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…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear inside door-handle cables, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 22V063000.
Led to recall campaign 20V701000.
Technical service bulletins
599 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2020 Bolt EV TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV reliable?
The 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV drew 246 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 52/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems?
The top reported problems for the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV are electrical (99 complaints), fuel system (30), and other (23).
At what mileage do 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems show up?
Owners most often report 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems around 10,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 2,136 and 35,000 miles.
Does the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV have recalls?
8 recall campaigns apply to the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.