2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings
EPA rates the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV at 118 MPGe combined with 259 miles of EPA-rated range across 1 version. NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 67 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Safety recalls
5
EPA combined MPGe
118
NHTSA overall rating
5/5
Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT
Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Chevrolet dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.
2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV recalls
NHTSA's recall file lists 5 safety recalls for the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV, newest first.
Electrical system: Propulsion system: Traction battery thermal: Management: Software and 1 more component
NHTSA 24V812000Reported Oct 31, 2024Park outside
Filed by
General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N242470160)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Bolt EUV vehicles previously repaired under Recall 21V-650. The installation of advanced diagnostic software may have failed. As such, the high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity.
Risk
A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy
Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Set the Target Charge Level 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. Dealers will reinstall advanced diagnostic software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 3, 2024. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's number for this recall is N242470160.
General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N242443000)
Units affected
72 (estimate)
Problem
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV vehicles that were previously remedied under recall number 21V-650. The advanced diagnostic software may have been incorrectly installed and fail to detect defective battery modules, possibly resulting in a battery fire.
Risk
A battery fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy
Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Set the Target Charge Level 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. Dealers will reinstall the advanced diagnostic software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 1, 2024. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. GM's numbers for this recall are N242443000 and N242443002.
General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N232421970)
Components
Seat belts: Pretensioner; Structure: Body: Roof and pillars
Units affected
6,771 (estimate)
Problem
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.
Remedy
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.
General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N222383790)
Components
Seat belts: Pretensioner; Structure: Body: Roof and pillars
Units affected
111,242 (estimate)
Problem
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.
Remedy
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.
General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N212345940)
Units affected
52,414 (estimate)
Problem
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV 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.
Remedy
Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Set the Target Charge Level 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. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 1, 2021 and June 23, 2023. Owners may contact the Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall 21V-560. GM's number for this recall is N212345940.
Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.
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2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV fuel economy by version
EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination; electric figures are in MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent). Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.
Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.
EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.
2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Rollover risk
Forward collision warning
2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV 5 HB FWD
5 stars
4 stars
5 stars
5 stars
9.7%
Optional
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.
Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.
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2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV owner complaints
Owners have filed 67 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV, most recently on Aug 26, 2026. 4 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 1 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.
Most-cited components in 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV complaints
Component named in complaints
Mentions
Electrical system
31
Fuel/propulsion system
15
Unknown or other
12
Power train
10
Steering
9
Engine
4
Service brakes
3
Vehicle speed control
3
Air bags
2
Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery
2
Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.
