Chevrolet Bolt EV battery can catch fire when charged

NHTSA campaign 21V560000 · Reported 2021-07-23 · General Motors, LLC

critical How serious is it? About this label

Serious fire risk — you may keep driving if you follow GM's charging limits and park outside, but do not charge indoors or overnight.

⚠ Park outside, away from buildings — fire risk. See all such recalls.

What's wrong, in plain English

The large battery that powers these cars can catch fire when it is charged all the way, or almost all the way, up. Until the battery is fixed, GM says to set your car to stop charging at 90 percent, charge more often, don't let the range drop below about 70 miles, park outside after charging, and never charge indoors overnight. GM will replace the bad battery parts at no cost.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if your Bolt is covered. 2. Turn on Hill Top Reserve (2017-2018) or Target Charge Level (2019) to cap charging at 90%, and park outside after charging. 3. Contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389 (recall N212343880) for the free battery module replacement.

Affected vehicles (1)

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV

Who to contact

Chevrolet — official Chevrolet recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-222-1020

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Chevrolet electrical recalls: battery fires, stalls and software glitches · all 14 Chevrolet recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
Summary: 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.
Safety 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.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.