What breaks most · 2017 to 2027 model years
Chevrolet Bolt EV problems by year
Owners have filed 971 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Chevrolet Bolt EV across model years 2017 to 2027. Three years stand out: 2017 for steering complaints, 2019 for electrical system complaints and 2020 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2022, 2021 and 2018.
- Years to check closely: 2017, 2019, 2020
- Fewest complaints: 2022, 2021, 2018
- Complaints on file
- 9712017 to 2027, all trims
- Worst year
- 2017346 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 3721 fires · 18 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 17kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 39Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 346 | 11 | 4 | Steering (123) | |
| 88 | 2 | 5 | Steering (37) | |
| 175 | 2 | 6 | Electrical system (85) | |
| 173 | 7 | 8 | Electrical system (93) | |
| 67 | 4 | 5 | Electrical system (33) | |
| 59 | 3 | 7 | Electrical system (29) | |
| 59 | 8 | 3 | Steering (17) | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Forward collision system (2) |
What fails on the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 36% |
123 | 1 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 33% |
114 | 3 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 20% |
70 | 2 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 10% |
33 | 0 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 8% |
27 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 6% |
22 | 3 | Shop brakes parts for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 5% |
16 | 3 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 3% |
12 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
I am experiencing a commonly reported issue with the steering rack binding and failing to self-center after a turn. Turning the steering wheel left and right has become increasingly more stiff over time. Unreliable steering, especially during turns could potentially lead to an accident/collision.
-
2019 chevrolet bolt. Consumer writes in regard to NHTSA safety recall 21v-560. The consumer is dissatisfied with the amount of time it takes to perform the recall on this vehicle.
-
My backup camera started working intermittently for about a year and now has just stopped working completely. Searching online, this is a very widespread issue with Bolt EV and EUV owners, happening as early as immediately after the car was purchased.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Chevrolet Bolt EV years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2017, 2019, 2020 carry the most filings on the Chevrolet Bolt EV. The 2017 alone has 346 complaints, led by steering.
What is the most common Chevrolet Bolt EV problem?
On the 2017 model year, the most-reported component is steering with 123 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Bolt EV problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Chevrolet Bolt EV complaints that include mileage is about 17,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.