YearToAvoid

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV has 178 NHTSA complaints, 10 fires, and 6 recalls, giving it a complaint index of 67 and a Caution verdict, ranking third-worst of 7 model years. Electrical system problems, mainly battery fires, dominate at 48% of complaints.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
67/100
#3 of 7 Bolt EV years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
178
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
6
2 Park Outside
Crashes
2
reported in complaints
Fires
10
Injuries
5
Top issue
Electrical System
Best nearby year
2018
lowest-risk (no Good/Best year)
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
119
128 city / 110 hwy
Injuries / deaths
5 / 0

Top 2019 Chevy Bolt EV problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System85 (48%)
  2. Steering46 (26%)
  3. Fuel System44 (25%)
  4. Other22 (12%)
  5. Transmission & Powertrain13 (7%)
  6. Brakes6 (3%)
  7. Collision Avoidance & Cameras6 (3%)
  8. Visibility & Wipers4 (2%)
  9. Airbags3 (2%)
  10. Lane Departure3 (2%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Owners report the high-voltage battery smoking or catching fire while parked or charging in a garage, sometimes with popping noises before flames appeared.
  • Some drivers experienced windshield glare on sunny days that whited out their view of the road, in one case leading to a crash at an intersection.
  • Owners describe a light gray dashboard causing reflection and glare in the windshield and side mirror, making it hard to see outside.
  • Several complaints describe a clicking noise at low speeds or when coming to a stop, reported soon after purchase.
  • One owner reported sudden loss of propulsion on the freeway after a 'low propulsion' warning light appeared, requiring a tow.
  • An airbag reportedly failed to fully deploy after a collision with a deer, with the contact noticing igniter fumes and smoke inside the vehicle.
2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV complaints: complaints filed per quarter582018 Q42020 Q12021 Q12022 Q12023 Q12024 Q12025 Q22026 Q2
178 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2018 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2021 Q3 (58).

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV recalls

6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 23V845000Dec 14, 2023Seat Belts6,771 vehicles

    Seat belts:pretensioner

    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.

    Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.

    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.

  2. NHTSA 22V930000Dec 15, 2022Seat Belts111,242 vehicles

    Seat belts:pretensioner

    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.

    Risk: A vehicle fire can increase the risk of injury.

    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.

  3. NHTSA 21V560000Jul 23, 2021Electrical System57,414 vehiclesPark Outside

    Electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery

    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.

    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.

See all 6 recalls for the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV →

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV fuel economy and fuel cost

City
128 MPG
Highway
110 MPG
Combined
119 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$650
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Electricity
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2019 compared with other Bolt EV years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002017201820192020202120222023
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2017Avoid1003464119
2018Caution0895119
2019Caution671786119
2020Avoid831748118
2021Caution33675118

All Chevrolet Bolt EV years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV reliable?
Based on NHTSA complaints and recalls, the 2019 Bolt EV carries a complaint index of 67 and a Caution verdict, ranking third-worst among the 7 model years with data. Electrical system issues, mostly battery fires, make up 48% of its complaints.
Does the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV have a battery fire recall?
Yes. NHTSA recall 20V701000 covers 2019 Bolt EVs for high-voltage batteries that could catch fire when charged to full or near-full capacity, and this was later superseded by recall 21V560000.
What is the biggest problem area for the 2019 Bolt EV?
Electrical system complaints are the largest category, accounting for 85 of 178 complaints (48%), including 9 reported fires with a median failure mileage of 15,000 miles.
How does the 2019 Bolt EV compare to other model years?
The 2019 model's complaint index of 67 is lower than the 2017 model (100, Avoid) but higher than 2018 (0), 2021 (33), 2022 (17), and 2023 (50), all rated Caution or better.
How many recalls does the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV have?
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2019 Bolt EV, covering seat belts, the high-voltage battery, rear door-handle cables, and brakes.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.