2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV has 67 NHTSA complaints, 5 recalls, and a complaint index of 33, ranking 5th worst out of 7 model years. Its verdict is Caution, capped because of a Park Outside recall despite a moderate complaint count.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 33/100
- #5 of 7 Bolt EV years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 67
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 5
- 3 Park Outside
- Crashes
- 4
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 1
- Top issue
- Electrical System
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 118
- 127 city / 108 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 1 / 0
Top 2021 Chevy Bolt EV problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System33 (49%)
- Fuel System15 (22%)
- Other12 (18%)
- Transmission & Powertrain10 (15%)
- Steering9 (13%)
- Engine7 (10%)
- Brakes3 (4%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (4%)
- Airbags2 (3%)
- Lane Departure1 (1%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Vehicle lunges forward unexpectedly when shifted into park, in one case causing a collision at 2,700 miles.
- Sudden loss of propulsion power at highway speed, with a dashboard warning and the car decelerating abruptly to around 20 mph.
- Airbags failed to deploy during side-impact collisions, in one case with a Chevy app alert flagging the air bag system afterward.
- Infotainment and backup camera display glitches while driving at freeway speed, with the backup camera image covering other gauges.
- Brakes lock up intermittently or the vehicle shifts itself into park unexpectedly with a grinding noise while pulling out of a driveway.
- Steering makes a groaning or squeaking noise and feels sluggish when turning, reported as early as 3,500 miles.
2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV recalls
5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 24V812000Oct 31, 2024Electrical System107 vehiclesPark Outside
Electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery thermal:management:software
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.
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
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.
- NHTSA 24V481000Jun 27, 2024Electrical System72 vehiclesPark Outside
Electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery
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.
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
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.
- 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.
2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 127 MPG
- Highway
- 108 MPG
- Combined
- 118 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.
2021 compared with other Bolt EV years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV reliable?
- NHTSA lists 67 complaints and 5 recalls for the 2021 Bolt EV, giving it a complaint index of 33 and a Caution verdict. It ranks 5th worst among the 7 Bolt EV model years covered.
- Why is the 2021 Bolt EV rated Caution instead of based purely on its complaint index?
- Its verdict is capped to Caution because the 2021 Bolt EV is covered by a Park Outside recall tied to the high-voltage battery fire risk, even though its complaint index of 33 alone is moderate.
- What is the top problem area for the 2021 Bolt EV?
- Electrical System complaints are the largest category, accounting for 33 of 67 complaints (49%), with a median mileage at failure of 5,000 miles.
- Does the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV have a battery fire recall?
- Yes. Recall 21V650000, reported August 20, 2021, covers 2020-2022 Bolt EV and 2022 Bolt EUV vehicles whose high-voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity, and requires owners to limit charge level as an interim step.
- How does the 2021 Bolt EV compare to other model years?
- The 2021 model's complaint index of 33 is lower than 2017 (100), 2020 (83), and 2019 (67), but its 5 recalls, including a Park Outside recall, keep its verdict at Caution rather than a better rating.