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2020 Chevrolet Bolt Ev Recalls, Issues & Maintenance

The 2020 Chevrolet Bolt Ev carries 8 open NHTSA recalls — most recently covering latch and caliper. Owners report 6 recurring issue clusters, led by “Steering wheel fails to return to center after turns.” Chevrolet vehicles use the GM Oil Life System (OLS) — a percentage-based monitor that calculates oil life from driving conditions, not fixed mileage. When the OLS drops to 0%, oil and filter are due. The schedule below reflects GM's Normal Use intervals for everything else.

8 Open Recalls

Source: NHTSA

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

Campaign #20V184000 · Mar 26, 2020

Issue: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The door-handle cable inside the rear doors may be too long, allowing contact with the window when it is opened, possibly damaging the cable. A damaged cable may cause the rear door to open unintentionally when the rear window is opened. Additionally, it may cause the rear inside door handle to not work.

Risk: If the rear door opens while driving, or the door handle fails to open the rear door, there is an increased risk of injury to the rear passengers.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear inside door-handle cables, free of charge. The recall began April 17, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is A202298320.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

Campaign #20V808000 · Dec 22, 2020

Issue: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. These vehicles may have an improperly cast front left brake caliper that can fracture during a high-pressure braking event.

Risk: If a brake caliper fractures and brake fluid is lost, the vehicle may experience reduced brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the casting lot number on the front left brake caliper and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202321400.

SEAT BELTS

Campaign #20V811000 · Dec 23, 2020

Issue: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2021 GMC Canyon and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Blazer, Camaro, Colorado, Equinox, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. Incorrect bolts may have been used at one or more fastening locations to secure the seat belts to the vehicle. If an incorrect bolt was used, the seat belt may not be properly attached to the vehicle.

Risk: If a seat belt assembly is not properly attached to the vehicle, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect bolts, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8785, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202322230.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

Campaign #21V650000 · Aug 20, 2021

Issue: 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.

Fix: 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.

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

Campaign #22V930000 · Dec 15, 2022

Issue: 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.

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

Campaign #23V845000 · Dec 14, 2023

Issue: 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.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

Campaign #24V481000 · Jun 27, 2024

Issue: 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.

Fix: 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.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

Campaign #24V812000 · Oct 31, 2024

Issue: 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.

Fix: 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.

Recall data refreshed Sep 6, 2026.

Known issues for this vehicle

What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt Ev.

Reported to NHTSA

Steering wheel fails to return to center after turns

STEERING

22 NHTSA complaints · 2023-01 → 2026-08

“Steering rack is starting to fail at under 47000 miles, car pulls to right during acceleration and pulls left when decelerating”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11755357
“Steering wheel does not return to center on its own after a turn. The wheel will remain turned, and the car will continue turning, until it is forced back to center by the driver”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11654453
“The steering gear has failed at only 43,000 miles and yes the car is available for inspection if needed. The steering binding is a safety issue, and if left along long enough, might fully bind up causing an accident”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11623986

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Backup camera intermittent black screen failure

BACK OVER PREVENTION

11 NHTSA complaints · 2022-12 → 2025-07

“The backup/360 camera intermittently but frequently fails to turn on, showing a black screen instead with a crossed out camera icon”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11675125
“Putting car into reverse, rear camera starts to glitch sporadically. Very dangerous when this happens in a busy parking lot. This car also features a 360 overhead view and this also glitches at the same time as reverse camera mode”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11596479
“The cameras for the 360° view, front to sides and back, keep going out. It's been a repair now five times and it still came back”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11615726

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Loss of propulsion while driving

POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

7 NHTSA complaints · 2024-08 → 2026-06

“When driving the car through a busy intersection there was a sudden, brief surge of acceleration, followed by deceleration and the vehicle cutting all motor power and becoming inoperable”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11741473
“While traveling at highway speeds, my Chevrolet Bolt (2020 with 20K miles) made a clunking noise followed by a loss of speed”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11632822
“While approaching a stop light, the car experienced a loss of propulsion and gave me an error message about it”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11579963

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Brake lights off at stop in one-pedal driving mode

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

4 NHTSA complaints · 2021-06 → 2024-11

“This car has One Pedal Driving (OPD) which allows you to slow the car to a stop, without using the brake pedal. The car activates the brake lights, based on sensors in the car which sense the deceleration”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11627504
“The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated while at a complete stop with the L(Low) mode activated, the brake lights failed to illuminate”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11553475
“I have had people following me, and almost hit me when stopped at a stop sign, or waiting to turn left, because the brake lights go off while the car is still being held to some degree by electric motor braking”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11422802

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

High-voltage battery recall parts delay and fire incidents

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

89 NHTSA complaints · 2021-08 → 2026-07

“The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt. The contact stated that while the vehicle was plugged into the charge box however not being fully charged”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11429891
“NHSTA Recall Number 21V650 was issued in August of 2021. It is now 2023 and the replacement battery for my 2020 Bolt is not yet available. Further I have received no information about when I should expect my replacement battery to become available”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11499764
“General Motors is using the arbitrary 6,213-mile tracking window of Recall 944 to deny coverage for a diagnosed Cell Section 3 hardware failure at 123,582 miles”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11745256

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Unintended acceleration linked to floor mat

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

12 NHTSA complaints · 2020-01 → 2026-05

“Accelerating to merge onto the highway the accelerator pedal got stuck under the all weather mat (provided and installed by the manufacturer). When I took my foot off the pedal the vehicle continued to accelerate”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11738205
“When I was parking my car on the street, in front of my house, my Chevy Bolt suddenly accelerated. Like it was full throttle. I slammed the brake pedal, didn't help”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11493816
“The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the accelerator pedal became stuck causing the speed to increase to approximately 65 mph”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11430166

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Note: NHTSA also opened 2 defect investigation(s) on this vehicle that closed without action.

Issues on other model years

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 11, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 11, 2026.

We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.

Essential maintenance

Critical for safety and preventing major damage

Engine Oil & Filter (per Oil Life System)

Every 7,500 mi

Change oil when the Oil Life System reaches 0% or every 12 months — whichever comes first. dexos1-approved synthetic oil required on all gas engines since 2011.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$120–$160

Shop

~$85–$115

DIY

~$25–$55

Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.

Tire Rotation

Every 7,500 mi

Rotate tires every 7,500 miles. Silverado 4x4 and Tahoe owners benefit from earlier rotations to even out drivetrain wear.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.

Brake Inspection

Every 7,500 mi

Inspect brake pads, rotors, and parking brake at each tire rotation. Equinox and Malibu front pads typically last 40,000-50,000 miles.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.

Brake Fluid

Every 45,000 mi

GM specifies brake fluid replacement based on contamination testing. Test every 30,000 miles; replace if moisture content exceeds 3% or fluid appears dark.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$180–$200

Shop

~$125–$140

DIY

~$10–$25

DOT 3 or 4 — match the cap. Vacuum bleeders make this a one-person DIY.

Important maintenance

Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently

Engine Air Filter

Every 45,000 mi

GM long-life cellulose air filters are rated 45,000 miles. Direct-injection engines are sensitive to airflow restriction; inspect at every oil change.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.

Automatic Transmission Fluid

Every 45,000 mi

Severe service (heavy towing, frequent stop-and-go, dusty conditions): replace every 45,000 miles. Normal service: 97,500 miles. Use Dexron-VI on 6L80/8L90 transmissions.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$330–$500

Shop

~$235–$355

DIY

~$60–$180

Some sealed transmissions have no dipstick — fill is precise and best left to a shop. Many drivers can still DIY drain-and-fill.

Transfer Case Fluid (4WD)

Every 45,000 mi

Silverado 4WD and Tahoe 4WD: replace transfer case fluid every 45,000 miles, sooner if towing or off-roading. Use GM Auto-Trak II fluid.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$105–$140

Shop

~$75–$100

DIY

~$15–$40

AWD/4WD vehicles only. Easy drain-and-fill on most platforms.

Spark Plugs

Every 100,000 mi

GM iridium spark plugs are rated 100,000 miles on most LS and LT engines. The 5.3L V8 in Silverado 1500 commonly fouls plugs early under heavy idling.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$390

Shop

~$200–$275

DIY

~$25–$100

Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.

Dex-Cool Engine Coolant

Every 50,000 mi

GM Dex-Cool (orange): first change at 150,000 miles or 5 years, then every 50,000 miles. Mixing with green coolant creates a sludge that destroys the cooling system.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$330

Shop

~$200–$235

DIY

~$25–$60

Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.

Rear Differential Fluid

Every 50,000 mi

Silverado and Tahoe: replace rear axle fluid every 50,000 miles, or 25,000 miles if towing. Limited-slip differentials require GM friction-modifier additive.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$150–$195

Shop

~$105–$135

DIY

~$20–$50

Drain plug + fill plug — straightforward DIY. AWD vehicles have two; budget for both.

Recommended maintenance

Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort

Cabin Air Filter

Every 22,500 mi

Replace the cabin air filter every 22,500 miles. Silverado and Tahoe owners in dusty climates should replace earlier.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.

Fatal crash history & reported problems

Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)

5 crashes 2010–2024

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number

Owner-reported problem signals

Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.

7

complaints mentioning a crash

4

complaints mentioning a fire

Reviewed known issues for this vehicle·Open recalls for this vehicle

Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.

How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.

This maintenance schedule for the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt Ev reflects Chevrolet's published service intervals and the Oil Life System system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.

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