2019 CHEVROLET BOLT EV Complaints

I WAS ATTEMPTING TO CHARGE THIS ELECTRIC CAR AT A GREENLOTS CCS (480VOLT) CHARGER IN KENNEWICK, WASHINGTON. THE CAR WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF. A BLUE ARC OF ELECTRICITY SHOT OUT OF THE CHARGER PORT ON THE CAR AND CAME WITHIN AN INCH OF MY HAND. I UNDERSTAND FROM PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE SCIENCE OF ELECTRICITY THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF THE ARC TOUCHED MY HAND. THE SAFETY FEATURES ON THE CAR, THE CHARGER OR BOTH DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THERE IS NO TIME WHEN AN ELECTRIC CAR SHOULD EMIT A LETHAL ARC OF ELECTRICITY. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE ARC CAME FROM THE BATTERY OF THE CAR OR FROM THE CHARGER, OR BOTH. NEITHER GM/CHEVY NOR THE CHARGER COMPANY ADMITS THERE IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. WITHOUT A THOROUGH SAFETY INVESTIGATION WE CAN'T TELL IF THE PROBLEM IS ALL BOLTS, ALL ELECTRIC CARS, ALL 480V CHARGERS, CCS CHARGERS, GREENLOTS CHARGERS, THE GREENLOT CHARGER IN KENNEWICK, WA, OR THE SPECIFIC CHEVY BOLT THAT SENT OUT THE LETHAL ARC TOWARDS MY BODY. PLEASE HELP!

GOT BRAND NEW VEHICLE ON SEPT 7TH. ON SEPT. 8TH SUFFERED LOSS OF PROPULSION AND INABILITY TO CHANGE GEARS. AFTER DRIVING FOR 20 MINUTES (50%+ CHARGED) WE REACHED OUR DESTINATION. I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE TO R IN ORDER TO PARALLEL PARK, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS STUCK WITH A MESSAGE SHOWING AN INABILITY TO SHIFT. WE TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TOGGLING THE CAR ON/OFF. AFTER LEAVING FOR 10 MINUTES AND TRYING AGAIN IT WORKED, HOWEVER WITH A SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON. WE CONTINUED TO THE GROCERY STORE. AFTER LEAVING THE GROCERY STORE AND DRIVING 10 MINUTES WE SUDDENLY WHILE MOVING GOT A 'LOSS OF PROPULSION" MESSAGE. PRESSING THE ACCELERATION PEDAL DID NOT MOVE THE VEHICLE. WE STRUGGLED TO NAVIGATE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AFTER LOSING TOTAL POWER. WE TRIED AGAIN TURNING THE VEHICLE ON/OFF BEING GREATED WITH INABILITY TO SHIFT MESSAGE. EVENTUALLY AFTER 15 MINUTES IT TURNED ON AND LUCKILY WE WERE BLOCKS FROM A CHEVY DEALER. THIS WAS QUITE TRAUMATIC TO GO THROUGH WITH MY MOTHER-IN-LAW AND PREGNANT WIFE.

COMPLETE POWER FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING. BRAND NEW VEHICLE (82 MILES DRIVEN). OWNED LESS THAN 72 HOURS. CAR WAS DRIVING UP A VERY SLIGHT GRADE AT 35 MPH. DEALER DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAILURE OF AN EATON MANUFACTURED DRIVE MOTOR BATTERY HIGH VOLTAGE MANUAL DISCONNECT LEVER FUSE. FUSE WAS REPLACED AND CAR RUNS. DEALER OFFERED NO EXPLANATION FOR FUSE FAILURE OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A BAD BATCH OF FUSES. IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE ON 2017 AND 2018 BOLTS SO THE CHANCES OF IT BEING A BAD BATCH ARE VERY SLIM. DEALER ALSO SAID THAT THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON POINT: 18-NA-225. I AM UNABLE TO GET A COPY OF THAT. CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE (1-800-222-1020) SAYS THAT THERE IS NO LONGER A BOLT/VOLT EXPERT ON STAFF. IT REFERRED ME BACK TO THE TECHNICIAN (JON POWELL, 541-245-2140, MEDFORD, OR). IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT JUST A FAULTY FUSE, IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS AN UNDERLYING PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. DEALER WILL NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK; PREFERS INSTEAD TO HAVE US HAVE 2 MORE COMPLETE POWER FAILURES WITHOUT WARNING BEFORE HE WILL CONSIDER THE CAR A "LEMON" UNDER OREGON'S LEMON LAW. THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE RISK.

BRAKING FAILURES. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW MILES WITH NORMAL OPERATION OF THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM, THE CAR WAS IN MOTION (ABOUT 45 MPH) WHEN THE CAR'S REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS REQUESTED BY COMPLETELY REMOVING THE FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR IN "L" MODE (THE "ONE FOOT DRIVING" MODE THAT AUTOMATICALLY BRAKES AS LESS PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR). THE CAR CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD AT FULL SPEED TOWARD A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT AT A NORMALLY BUSY INTERSECTION. AT THAT POINT I VALIDATED THAT THE CAR WAS IN "L" MODE AND DECIDED TO USE THE REGENERATIVE BRAKE PADDLE CONNECTED TO THE STEERING WHEEL. THAT ALSO FAILED TO ENGAGE, AND THE CAR CONTINUED AT FULL SPEED TOWARD TO THE RED LIGHT. AT THAT POINT I ENGAGED THE BRAKE PEDAL BRISKLY AND BARELY CAME TO A STOP BEFORE ENTERING THE INTERSECTION. NEARLY THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED A SECOND TIME ON THE DRIVE BACK ABOUT 5 MINUTES INTO THE DRIVE, AND AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN RESTING ABOUT 30 MINUTES. THE CAR GAVE NO NOTIFICATIONS OR WARNINGS OF ANYTHING ABNORMAL. MANY DRIVERS OF THE CHEVY BOLT RELY ON THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM NEARLY EXCLUSIVELY FOR ALL BRAKING SCENARIOS. BECAUSE OF THIS, ANY FAILURE CAN RESULT IN AN EXTREME HAZARD TO THE DRIVER AND NEARBY PEDESTRIANS OR VEHICLES. WHEN CONTACTING GM, THEY SAID THAT UNDER SOME CONDITIONS THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM WILL NOT ENGAGE. THEY WILL NOT INVESTIGATE OR FIX THE ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 CHEVROLET BOLT EV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE NOISE SOUNDED AS IF IT WERE COMING FROM THE AREA OF THE CONSOLE/ GEAR SHIFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CAMELBACK CHEVROLET (1233 E CAMELBACK RD, PHOENIX, AZ 85014, (602) 457-3232) WHERE IT WAS KEPT FOR TWO WEEKS TO HAVE A NEW GEAR SHIFT INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,217.

THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES OF THE DASHBOARD CONTINUE TO COME LOOSE AFTER MULTIPLE FIX ATTEMPTS FROM THE DEALER. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, IF THE AIRBAGS FIRE AND THE A-PILLAR TRIM MOVES OUTWARD THE DASH PARTS MAY BE THROWN AT THE CAR'S PASSENGERS FURTHER INJURING THEM. GM REP STATED THERE IS NO FIX AT THIS TIME AND ALL THE OTHER BOLTS ON THE DEALER'S LOT HAD THE SAME ISSUE SO I WOULD HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE CAR.

CAR CAME WITH LIGHT GRAY DASHBOARD WHICH UNBEKNOWNST TO ME AND UNDECLARED BY DEALER HAS BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA SINCE 2017 AS A SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO REFLECTION AND GLARE THAT THIS COLOR DASHBOARD CREATES. AT TIMES SIDEVIEW MIRROR AND DRIVER'S WINDSHIELD IS DANGEROUSLY CHALLENGING TO SEE CLEARLY OUT OF AS DASHBOARD REFLECTION INTERSECTS WITH OUTSIDE ENVIRONMENT. HARD TO TELL WHAT IS WHAT. THIS IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS DURING UNFILLED DRIVING (I LIVE IN LOS ANGELES WHICH IS MOSTLY UNFILLED). GIVEN THE COMPLAINTS TO NHTSA IN 2017, I CONTACTED CHEVROLET CORPORATE TO COMPLAIN AND EXCHANGE BRAND NEW CAR FOR BLACK DASHBOARD. THEY CLAIM THERE IS NO DEFECT!!!! IT IS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT IS DANGEROUS....SINCE 2017...FOR NO REASON. MAKE BLACK DASHBOARDS!!!!!!!! LIGHT COLORED DASH IS DANGEROUS!!!! PLEASE DO SOMETHING!

BACK UP CAM REMAINS ON AFTER I PUT MY CAR IN DRIVE. ALSO A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE INFOTAINMENT CONSOLE. YOU CANNOT LOWER THE RADIO OR CONTROL YOUR CLIMATE CONTROL WHICH MEANS WHEN THE WINDSHIELD IS FOGGING UP I CANNOT CORRECT IT.

I EXPERIENCED EXTREME WINDSHIELD GLARE WHILE DRIVING MY NEW CHEVY BOLT AT MIDDAY ON A VERY SUNNY DAY. THE GLARE WAS MANAGEABLE AT FIRST, AS I APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. AS I ENTERED THE INTERSECTION, THE WINDSHIELD SEEMED TO TURN WHITE. I LOST MY VIEW OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND WAS HIT BY AN SUV. THIS WAS THE FIRST REALLY SUNNY DAY AFTER I TOOK POSSESSION OF THE BOLT. PRIOR TO THAT DAY, THE WEATHER HAD BEEN PARTLY/MOSTLY CLOUDY. I HAVE DRIVEN THROUGH THIS INTERSECTION MANY TIMES BEFORE UNDER VARIOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS IN MY OLD ACURA TSX WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS AMOUNT OF GLARE ON A WINDSHIELD AT THIS TIME OF DAY BEFORE.

ON SATURDAY JUNE 1, 2019 I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH. AS I PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY ONTO A SIDE ROAD, THE "LOW PROPULSION" LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL PROPULSION AND COASTED INTO A PARKING LOT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE CHEVY DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR ON MONDAY BUT AS HE DROVE IT INTO THE GARAGE, THE SAME THING HAPPENED, SUDDEN LOSS OF COMPULSION. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED MY CAR WITH CHEVROLET ENGINEERING AND HAD TO ORDER A TRANSMISSION, POWER HARNESS AND A 3RD MAJOR PART. THE SERVICE PERSON SAID THIS HAD HAPPENED TO SEVERAL OTHER 2019 BOLTS. THIS SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE HAD WE LOST PROPULSION ON THE FREEWAY, JUST 5 MINUTES BEFORE WE EXITED THE FREEWAY.