2021 Chevrolet Bolt: problems, recalls and reliability
5 recalls and 66 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (46% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Oct 2024
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 66 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“I was in a car accident on February 9th, in which my airbags did not deploy, however, I did receive an error in my Chevy app that my Air Bag system requires attention. I sustained facial injuries due to impact with the steering wheel. I believe the airbags should have deployed, but did not.”Owner report · Air Bags · Feb 2026
“The steering wheel will not return to center and feels like its binding on something, sometimes its tough to steer other times not. Does not feel safe. No warning lamps and nobody has inspected or worked on it yet.”Owner report · Steering · Sep 2025
“Steering gear is bound up due to a documented manufacturing error. Steering is increasingly stiff at speed, and will not return to center without significant driver input. This is a widespread issue that has been documented and causes a major safety concern to Chevy Bolt owners and should be addressed and repaired by the manufacturer.”Owner report · Steering · Aug 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“My 2021 Chevy Bolt keeps showing a battery or power-Propulsion warning light related to the high-voltage system. The warning keeps coming back even after multiple repairs. The first repair was on April 28, 2025, the second was on December 17, 2025, and it is scheduled again for another repair on March 3, 2026. The light is the same every time and affects the car's performance and reliability. I'm concerned this could be a safety issue involving the battery or propulsion system. The dealer repairs it temporarily, but the warning keeps returning, and the problem has never been fully resolved.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2025
“12v battery warning light and ion Lucian battery light came on manufacture does not want to buy back and apple car play keeps breaking.”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2025
“Steering geer having issues of the steering wheel coming back to center after the turn. Now need to replace steering geer”Owner report · Steering · Oct 2024
“Shift selector failed. Could no shift into gear Drive, low or Reverse. Locked in park but could shift to neutral. no power steering or AC. If this design flaw failure occurred while the car was on the highway, it could cause an accident. I have contacted General Motors and reported the potential safety issue and awaiting there response.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2024
“Car stalled suddenly on road. Can't change to any driving gear, only neutral. Towed to dealer, diagnose indicated wiring harness was the cause. Expensive fix for ~$400 part with ~$3200 labor cost in addition to dangerous sudden stall.”Owner report · Power Train · May 2024
“I believe the recall remedy gm n21345944 is not sufficient because it dies not monitor the system during the 80-100 % charge. It only allows ip to 80 which is not when it fails. Also it just gives an alert and does not shut down the battery which can allow the fure to happen. According to gm recall 212345940 a new battery was promised. I do not feel safe driving a car which has only been tested up to 80% range when that id not the failure mode. I want a new fixed battery.”Owner report · Electrical System · Aug 2023
“In nearly exactly the same fashion as Tesla, Chevrolet has reduced my battery range by 15-20% and they don't have any idea when or if they will restore what I've paid for.”Owner report · Electrical System · Aug 2023
When filing, owners marked a crash in 4 of these complaints and injuries in 1 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 5 campaigns
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.
Remedy: 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 the battery to 70 miles range remaining, park outside after charging, and do not charge the vehicle indoors overnight. Dealers will reinstall advanced diagnostic software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 3, 2024. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N242470160.
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.
Remedy: 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 the battery to 70 miles range remaining, park outside after charging, and do not charge the vehicle indoors overnight. Dealers will reinstall the advanced diagnostic software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 1, 2024. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's numbers for this recall are N242443000 and N242443002.
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.
Remedy: 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 installed. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2024. These vehicles were previously recalled for this same issue under recall number 22V-930 and will need to have the new remedy performed. Owners may contact GM EV Concierge at 1-833-EVCHEVY (1-833-382-4389) (TTY 711 / 1-800-833-2438) or Customer Service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N232421970.
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.
Remedy: 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, 2023 and April 25, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N222383790.
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.
Remedy: 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 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. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 1, 2021 and June 23, 2023. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall 21V-560. GM's number for this recall is N212345940.
How other years compare
Check your exact Bolt by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt reliable?
NHTSA has 66 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns on record for the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt. The most complained-about area is electrical system (46% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2021 Chevrolet Bolt problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 3,850 miles or less.
Does the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt have open recalls?
5 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.