GM had previously warned Bolt owners to park their cars outside as it investigated recent battery fires.
General Motors will recall 2017—2019 Chevy Bolt models once again to correct an issue with the battery packs potentially catching fire. The first recall came in November 2020, but two owners’ cars caught fire even after having the repair work done.
The company says the issue lies with earlier Bolt battery packs manufactured by LG Chem. The cells that comprise the pack can have manufacturing defects, increasing the risk of fire, though specific details on the defects aren’t specifically clear. At the moment, GM is still working on rolling out a fix, so at the moment their recommendations from last week still apply. When the company is ready, technicians will replace the battery modules.
- Do not charge above 90 percent
- You can set the charge limit to 90% using “Hilltop Reserve mode” on 2017 and 2018 models, or “Target Charge Level mode” on 2019 models
- Find out how to do that on GM’s website
- Do not let the charge drop below 70 miles (roughly 29-30%); Charge the battery to no higher than 90% after each drive
- No overnight charging
- Move the car away from structures after charging; park outside
More information is available on GM’s recall website, as well as their customer support line. You can contact your dealer or call (833) 382-4389.
This recall only affects 2017 through 2019 Chevy Bolt models. 2020 and newer Bolts are not affected by this recall campaign.