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2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 5safety recalls
- 6owner complaints
- 0crash reports
- 0fire reports
- 0injuries reported
6 complaints, against an average of 84 for the other 7 Chevrolet Bolt EV model years.
Every Chevrolet Bolt EV model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
The components named most often in the 6 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
Has the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV been recalled?
5 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Structure: Body: Roof And Pillars 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.
Fix: 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.
Structure: Body: Roof And Pillars 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.
Risk: A vehicle fire can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Electrical System: Propulsion System: Traction BatteryPark outside 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.
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Electrical System: Propulsion System: Traction BatteryPark outside 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.
Risk: A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Foundation Components: Disc: Caliper 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.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Is the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
EU Safety GateThe high-voltage battery may be faulty at full charging capacity.This will increase the risk of fire.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Other; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
What do 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV owners report?
6 of the 6 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
Steering has resistance and will not to return to center/neutral position without driver manipulation. I've never experienced this probelm with another car and See many other Chevrolet Bolt owners have experienced the same problem. IT definitely seems to be a design and /or assembly flaw. Local GM dealer service department insists it's an isolated issue. Very costly repair required.
I purchased this car at 15,000 miles in October 2021. It’s my first electric car, and I just assumed that the stiffness in the steering wheel was part of the electric car experience. Big mistake! I took it into the dealer last week and they want $3500 to replace the steering mechanism, I’ve been looking online and I see lots of other people having this issue. This seems like a severe safety issue and Chevy needs to take responsibility for it.
This car has only 33,000 miles and has been driven gently, mostly on the highway. My wife took her car into the dealer to have the computer software updated (from the battery fiasco-it has never worked correctly since the batteries were changed) and the dealer advised that the car has a "stuck" steering gear, and it was unsafe to drive. The dealer produced an estimate for $2883.24 to change the steering gear, with the same presumably defective parts that were originally used. Now that it has been pointed out my wife said that the steering was getting harder and harder over time and that it…
The steering binds up while turning and the steering wheel does not return to its center neutral position. This is a major safety issue because it takes significant effort to get the car to go straight again. I have nearly gone off the road because of the car’s unpredictable steering. The problem was reproduced and confirmed by my Chevy dealer. The technician attributes the problem to a defective steering gear. After some research online, I see that this problem is common with the Bolt. This is a major safety concern and there should be a recall to correct the problem and hold Chevrolet…
Over the last month I have noticed that the steering fails to return to center once I turn the front wheels more than a few degrees to the right or left. I thought it could be a tire wear or miss-alignment issue so I got new tires and an alignment but the problem is still quite bad. While I noticed it starting at the end of July, it is an ongoing problem. It seems to be getting worse - the steering now ‘sticks’ consistently in both directions.
The steering wheel.does not turn back to the center once I make a turn. Mechanics say it is a steering gear that is out of order. My wife and I got into the accident multiple times due to this.
2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV: questions owners ask
Is the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 6 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV; the most common categories were steering (6, 100%). There are 5 safety recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
Across 6 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are steering (100% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV; the most recent (campaign 23V845000, 2023-12-14) concerns Structure: Body: Roof And Pillars. 2 recalls carry a "do not drive" or "park outside" warning from the manufacturer. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Check your own Bolt EV
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2018 only.