2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV Problems, Recalls & Reliability
96 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 20/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Electrical leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2021 sits among all Bolt EV years
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V650000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Bolt EV
Recalls (5)
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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 22V063000.
Technical service bulletins
501 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2021 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 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV reliable?
The 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV drew 96 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 20/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems?
The top reported problems for the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV are electrical (33 complaints), fuel system (15), and other (12).
Does the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2021 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.