Chevrolet has issued a recall order for over 111,000 2017-2023 Bolt EV electric cars for one of the most bizarre and terrifying reasons we’ve encountered: the seatbelt mechanism can cause a fire in an accident. The danger to passengers, who might already be incapacitated from accident injuries, should be obvious.
Bolt owners might cringe at the mention of fire. The Bolt was involved in a long, escalating series of recalls over battery fires last year, but Chevrolet says it has fixed that problem. This recall doesn’t involve the battery.
The problem begins with seatbelt pretensioners.
Most modern seatbelt systems include a device called a pretensioner, which cinches the belt tight against a passenger’s body in an accident. Pretensioners must do their work almost instantly, functioning with a tiny explosive charge triggered at the moment of impact.
This explosive charge is small and contained, so it’s rarely dangerous. However, the explosion produces hot gases which pass out of a small vent. In at least three incidents Chevrolet is aware of, those gases have caused the nearby carpets of the vehicles to catch fire.
The larger Bolt EUV, Chevy says, is not included in the recall because it uses a different pretensioner design.
Dealers will fix the problem by installing a metal foil that protects the carpet, acting as a small heat shield. The company tells federal regulators, “certain vehicles will also need a pretensioner cover installed,” but doesn’t specify the vehicles the recall includes. Chevrolet estimates approximately 1% of the over 111,000 Bolt EV models built may be affected.
The fix is free.
Manufacturers recall many cars to fix safety defects, sometimes more than once. While automakers try to reach every owner to ask them to bring the vehicle in for repair, they rarely reach them all. Millions of vehicles on American roads need free recall repairs. Check the easy VIN tool at our recall center to find out if your car is one of them.
