2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 178 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV over 8 years — 34 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 7 Bolt EV years on this site. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Roof and pillars, Traction battery, and Latch.

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV — Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

178

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (85 of 178), then Steering (46) and Fuel and propulsion system (44). The most filings arrived in 2021 (77 of 178). Those filings include 2 that report a crash, 10 that report a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2018 and 2020

The 2018 Bolt EV has 1 complaint, 0 per year, and the 2020 has 173 complaints, 23 per year. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2020.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (6)

Recall structure, body, roof and pillars 2023-12-14 · NHTSA campaign 23V845000

Summary 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.

Recall structure, body, roof and pillars 2022-12-15 · NHTSA campaign 22V930000

Summary 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.

Recall electrical system, propulsion system, traction battery 2021-07-23 · NHTSA campaign 21V560000

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.

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.

Recall electrical system, propulsion system, traction battery 2020-11-13 · NHTSA campaign 20V701000

Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling all 2017-2018 and certain 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.

Remedy This recall has been superseded by recall number 21V-560. Vehicles previously repaired under 20V-701 will still need to have the new remedy under recall 21V-560. GM will notify owners, and as an interim repair, beginning on November 17, 2020, dealers will reprogram the hybrid propulsion control module 2 (HPCM2) to limit the full charge to 90%, free of charge. Owners are advised to 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%, or park outside, until the software update is completed. Owners were notified of the interim repair beginning November 17, 2020. The second notice was mailed on May 11, 2021. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N202311730.

Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2020-03-26 · NHTSA campaign 20V184000

Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The door-handle cable inside the rear doors may be too long, allowing contact with the window when it is opened, possibly damaging the cable. A damaged cable may cause the rear door to open unintentionally when the rear window is opened. Additionally, it may cause the rear inside door handle to not work.

Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear inside door-handle cables, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A202298320.

Recall hydraulic brakes, foundation components, disc, caliper 2018-08-30 · NHTSA campaign 18V576000

Summary General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

Remedy GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.

Complaints by component (178 total)

Electrical system

Steering

Fuel and propulsion system

Powertrain

Forward collision avoidance

Service brakes

Visibility and wipers

Air bags

Lane departure

Seat belts

Back-over prevention

Engine

Suspension

Wheels

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Equipment

Latches, locks, and linkages

Seats

Show 10 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"I am reporting a recurring safety defect with our 2019 Chevrolet Bolt (80,000 miles). On multiple occasions the left front wheel has overheated severely while driving, accompanied by a rapid, severe side-to-side…"
Wheels, Service brakes · filed 2026-09-21
"The steering wheel on my 2019 Chevy bolt is feeling stiff and harder to turn when making a right and left turn."
Steering · filed 2026-09-20
"A rear passenger side door handle/latch stopped working. The door cannot be opened from the inside, only from the outside. It’s a safety issue and it has affected other 2019-2020 Bolts which resulted in their recall.…"
Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-17
"Steering wheel does not return to center on turns when driving at low speeds."
Steering · filed 2026-07-10
"Steering wheel does not return to center after making a turn. Over time the steering rack fails leading to a steering wheel that will not return to center even when force is applied to wheel. The dealership is charging…"
Steering · filed 2026-06-13

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV 5 HB FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Bolt EV	—	Automatic (1-speed)	Front-wheel drive	128	110	119 MPG / 238 mi range	$650

Specs and fitment

1st generation, 2017–2023

Body styles Hatchback

Tire size 215/50R17

Known issues for this generation

Recall 21V-650 covers certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Bolt EUV vehicles: the high-voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity; GM's remedy includes battery module replacement and advanced diagnostic software. Earlier recall 20V-701 and 21V-560 addressed the same battery fire risk on 2017-2019 and previously repaired packs. Follow-up recalls 24V-481 and 24V-812 address failures in installing that diagnostic software on some vehicles already remedied under 21V-650. Recall 22V-930 covers certain 2017-2023 Bolt EV vehicles: after a crash with seat belt pretensioner deployment, pretensioner exhaust may ignite carpet fibers near the B-pillar.

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Next year 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV See every Chevrolet Bolt EV model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV reliable?

What are common problems with a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV?

Is the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2018 Bolt EV has 1 complaint, 0 per year, and the 2020 has 173 complaints, 23 per year. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2020.

Has the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV been recalled?

The 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV has 6 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV?

Owners have filed 178 complaints about the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV is 119 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

Does the Chevrolet Bolt EV use engine oil?

No. It is battery-electric; routine fluid checks focus on brake fluid and coolant loops, not motor oil.

What tire size does a Chevrolet Bolt EV use?

US first-generation pages list 215/50R17.

What model years does the first-generation Chevrolet Bolt EV cover?

2017-2023 on this site's Bolt EV record.