Problems · NHTSA complaints
2023 Chevrolet Bolt problems
Owners filed 63 complaints about the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt with NHTSA between Nov 2022 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (18).
Complaints
63
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
9
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
6
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Electrical system18
- Steering17
- Service brakes8
- Fuel/propulsion system7
- Air bags6
- Exterior lighting6
- Engine4
- Power train3
- Vehicle speed control3
- Suspension3
- Back over prevention3
- Visibility/wiper2
- Forward collision avoidance2
- Lane departure1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
3
9
12
15
24
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2026 | 24 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Electrical system
18 reports2 crashes1 fire
“THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES AN INTERMITTENT COMPLETE LOSS OF REARVIEW VISIBILITY WHILE REVERSING, DISPLAYING A BLANK SCREEN AND A RED WARNING TRIANGLE. THIS is a severe safety hazard that violates FMVSS111. The dealership held the vehicle for more than three weeks due to extensive dashboard while wiring harness failures on the communication loop. Yet GM has failed to issue a safety recall.”
Steering
17 reports
“Steering rack failure, does not return to center most of the time. Every once in a while it will. Loud clunking in steering, started right around 36k mile warranty expiration, but I didnt know what it was so did not report it right away.”
Service brakes
8 reports3 crashes
“known issue with " anti click washer on Bolt EV " and resulting damage to related components can cause loss of control acceleration, stopping and major damage and cost, no warning lights or TSB other than for previous gen but same design and same defect, inspected by dealer shows broken anti click washer and damage to other components https://gmauthority.com/blog/2022/07/heres-why-your-chevy-bolt-ev-may-have-a-clicking-sound/”
Fuel/propulsion system
7 reports1 crash
“The vehicle suffers from severe, unresolvable electrical failures causing recurring loss of propulsion, shifting lockouts ("No Driving Conditions" / stuck in Park), complete exterior lighting failures, and loss of communication with the Restraints Control Module (RCM) and airbag impact sensors. The primary failure involves short circuits, open circuits, poor terminal contact, and thermal damage with melted, charred wiring and exposed copper in the main harness[cite: 6]. On May 25, 2026, OnStar telematics issued a critical red alert for the Regenerative Braking System[cite: 7]. All damaged components and diagnostic reports are available for inspection upon request[cite: 6, 7]. Safety risks include sudden loss of propulsion at highway speeds, total headlight and tail light loss during night driving, and potential non-deployment or malfunction of airbag restraint systems during a collision. The issues have been repeatedly reproduced and confirmed by an authorized dealership through 7 repair attempts between Sept 2024 and Apr 2025. Diagnostic steps included opening GM TAC Case 9-13634782861, consulting GM engineers, and testing 33 ground points. On Oct 28, 2024,…”
Air bags
6 reports4 crashes1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle struck a deer. The air bags failed to deploy but the steering wheel released a chemical dust accompanied by an abnormal gas odor. Due to the impact, and the seat belt locking, the driver sustained soft tissue abdominal injuries and was treated at a hospital. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center after the issue however, the vehicle needed to be inspected by an insurance adjuster. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.”
Exterior lighting
6 reports1 crash
“Headlights were brushed clear of snow prior to driving. While driving in snow conditions, the headlights became covered in snow and would not provide illumination to the road ahead. This put me at safety risk making road visibility extremely poor at night. While driving I couldn’t understand why the road was so difficult to see. Upon arriving home, I inspected the headlights to see the snow had completely covered the headlights.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.