The federal government and General Motors are warning owners of 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles (EVs) to park their cars outside and away from homes due to fire risk.
A Consumer Alert sent out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reads, “Owners of these vehicles should park their vehicles outside away from homes and other structures immediately after charging and should not leave their vehicles charging overnight.”
A Two-Stage Recall
Last November, Chevrolet recalled the cars after reports of several fires that may have started in the vehicles’ batteries. Dealers installed software that prevented the batteries from charging to their full capacity. GM intended that solution as a temporary fix while it investigated the problem and sought a more permanent repair.
In April, GM started installing a more permanent fix. Dealers used new diagnostic equipment to inspect the batteries and replaced those deemed at high risk of fire. They installed new battery monitoring software in every Bolt, new battery or not. The system warns of any changes to the battery’s status.
Now, NHTSA says it “is aware of two recent Chevrolet Bolt EV fires in vehicles that received the recall remedy.”
It isn’t clear whether these fires involved Bolts that had their batteries replaced. We have reached out to both GM and NHTSA for clarification.
“Vehicles should be parked outside regardless of whether the interim or final recall remedies have been completed,” NHTSA warns.
Reports of Buybacks
In the meantime, Bolt owners should be aware that Chevy has reportedly bought some Bolts involved in the recalls back from their owners. In May, a Chevy spokesperson told us that the company was “handling buybacks on an individual basis” and had no more information to share. We suspect that their decisions may have to do with differing state lemon laws, but GM has provided no clarity on the matter.
Current Bolts Not Affected
For now, owners of 2017-2019 Bolts should heed the warning and park away from structures. And shoppers should be aware that the Bolts on Chevrolet sales lots now are a completely new design. They share no parts with the 2017-2019 models.
Recall repairs are free. Many cars are recalled, often more than once, during their useful lives. Automakers attempt to reach every owner with recall notices, but some always slip through the cracks. Find out if your car is eligible for any free safety repairs at our recall center.
