107 Units Of Chevy Bolt EV, EUV Recalled Over Fire Hazard

General Motors has issued a safety recall for 107 units of the 2020 through 2022 model years of the Chevy Bolt EV and 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV, all of which previously received a “final fix” for the problem in June 2023.

The number of 2020 to 2022 Chevy Bolt EV and 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV units involved is a tiny fraction of those originally involved in the safety recall, but a fire risk still exists for these particular vehicles.

The problem: the advanced diagnostic software installed in the affected Chevy Bolt EV and EUV vehicles as part of the earlier fix may have been incorrectly installed, though only on this specific “population,” per GM Safety Recall number N242470160.

The hazards: because of being incorrectly calibrated during installation, the diagnostic software may fail to detect the defective status of the Bolt’s battery module. This could lead to the defect causing an electric battery fire in the affected EV and EUV units without the software detecting it before the actual fire occurs. The highest fire risk is when the battery is at or near full charge.

The fix: the remedy for the diagnostic software issue does not require any parts to complete. GM service technicians are instructed to verify involvement of the Chevy Bolt in the recall, then reprogram three modules in the vehicle to correctly install the diagnostic software. These modules include the Body Control Module, the Battery Energy Control Module and the Hybrid Powertrain Control Module 2.

The fix must be applied to any Bolt units still currently in dealer inventory, with the dealership prohibited from selling, delivering, demonstrating, or trading the vehicles to other dealerships, until the fix has been correctly applied and reported.

Notably, the previous reprogramming methodology was released in June 2023, and was intended to provide a final remedy to the battery fire issue. Earlier this year, 72 units of the Bolt EV and EUV units were recalled for incorrect software installation, similar to the current issue. Vehicles involved in this fix include 50,000 units recalled in July 2021 and a further 69,000 units recalled during November 2020.

Affected components: control modules.

Affected vehicles: 

• 2020 Chevy Bolt EV
• 2021 Chevy Bolt EV
• 2022 Chevy Bolt EV
• 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV

Number of affected vehicles: a combined total of 107 Bolt EV and Bult EUV vehicles overall are affected by the recall according to The General.

Owners should: if owners of affected Chevy Bolt EV and Chevy Bolt EUV units cannot bring their vehicle in for immediate service, GM offers several recommendations for safety. Target Charge Level mode should be used to set maximum charge at 90 percent, with higher percentages associated with heightened fire risk.

Furthermore, owners should avoid pushing available charge below 70 miles of range, increasing the frequency of charging to avoid issues. Bolt units should not be left charging overnight, and once the battery has been charged, the EV should be parked outdoors to lessen the chance of setting a building on fire if the battery ignites while the Bolt unit is parked.

Finally, the reprogrammed software will limit charge t0 80 percent of maximum for 6,200 miles. This will automatically increase to 100 percent maximum charge after this point if the battery module does not glitch or malfunction. It is not necessary to return to the dealership in order for this to occur.

Those with additional questions about the recall can contact Chevrolet customer service via a toll-free telephone number. Referencing the recall number for identification purposes, the numbers involved are as follows:

Contacts:

• GM recall number: N202070160
• Chevy Customer Service: 1-800-222-1020