2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV Complaints

WITH THE VEHICLE IN THE "L" MODE DRIVING FORWARD, ON BOTH CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS,THE REGEN BRAKING DOES NOT CONSISTENTLY ENGAGE, THEREBY CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP THE CAR IN TIME WITH THE REGULAR BRAKES TO AVOID A COLLISION. IT HAS BEEN TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS A TOTAL OF 6 TIMES WITH NO RESOLUTION OF THE ISSUE. DEALERSHIP #1 WAS NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP #2 HAD TECH RIDE WITH ME AND PROBLEM OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. TECH STATED HE WOULD HAVE TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE. CHEVY SEEMS TO DENY THIS IS A PROBLEM. I'M VERY CONCERNED THIS WILL RESULT IN A REAR END OR PEDESTRIAN COLLISION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET BOLT EV. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, "SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN" APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE SEIZED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO POWER OFF THE VEHICLE WITH THE START BUTTON. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO FAULKNER CHEVROLET OF LANCASTER (LOCATED AT 2000 BENNET AVE, LANCASTER, PA 17601, (717) 299-0961) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVE MODULE, INVERTER, AND A POWER CABLE (HARNESS) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,403.

ON MARCH 17, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:45P.M., WE PARKED THE BOLT IN THE DRIVEWAY OF OUR HOME. WE EXITED THE BOLT AND PLUGGED IT INTO OUR JUICEBOX (LEVEL 2) CHARGER AS USUAL. AT APPROXIMATELY 5:00 PM, WE WERE ALERTED THAT THE BOLT WAS ON FIRE. WE DISCOVERED SMOKE BILLOWING OUT OF THE REAR OF THE BOLT AND THE BOLT APPARENTLY COMBUSTING FROM WITHIN IN THE AREA OF THE BATTERY CELLS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND TOOK APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS TO CONTROL THE FIRE AND SMOKE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EVACUATED US, OUR DOWNSTAIRS NEIGHBORS, AND BOTH UNITS OF THE HOME NEXT DOOR DURING THE FIRE. THE FUMES FROM THE BURNING MATERIALS WAS SO THICK AND NOXIOUS IT PERMEATED OUR HOME, REQUIRING PROFESSIONAL CLEANING. WE EXPERIENCED HEADACHES FOLLOWING CONTACT WITH THE SMOKE. THE BOLT IS A TOTAL LOSS. IT TOOK CHEVY A FEW DAYS TO RESPOND TO OUR CLAIM. EVENTUALLY CHEVY SENT TWO ENGINEERS FROM DETROIT TO OUR DRIVEWAY TO INSPECT THE JUICE BOX. CHEVY PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY.

35% REDUCTION IN RANGE WITH NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, ADDITIONAL 27% REDUCTION IN RANGE AFTER COURTESY RECALL #18125 LOS OF PROPULSION HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY WITHOUT NOTIFICATION. GM ACKNOWLEDGES RANGE LOSS, THEY INFORMED ME THIS IS NORMAL, UNABLE TO USE VEHICLE FOR WORK COMMUTING

FRONT WIPERS CAN FREEZE AND TO BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD AND BECOME IMMOBILIZED WHILE DRIVING, IMPAIRING VISIBILITY. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES THIS WINTER, OUR FIRST WITH THIS CAR, WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WHEN OUTDOOR TEMP WAS ABOUT 25 DEG F, EVEN THOUGH CAR INTERIOR TEMPS WERE COMFORTABLE. DEFROST HEAT DUCT ON DASHBOARD HITS GLASS SEVERAL INCHES ABOVE WIPERS AND DOES NOT ADEQUATELY HEAT THE LOWERMOST WINDSHIELD WHERE WIPERS REST AT BOTTOM OF SWIPE. SEEMS LIKE A COUPLE OF INCHES OF LAMINATED HEATING ELEMENTS SIMILAR TO THE REAR WINDOW SHOULD BE REQUIRED, WITH A BUTTON TO CONTROL IT, AND THERE SHOULD BE A HEATED DRAIN HOLE TO REMOVE THE WATER.

WHILE APPROACHING A BUSY INTERSECTION OF A BUSY CITY STREET, AS COMING TO A STOP FIRST USING REGENERATIVE BRAKING, THEN APPLYING THE MECHANICAL BRAKES, THE GAUGE CLUSTER READ "LIMITED DRIVING CAPABILITY" (OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT). AS I CAME TO A STOP THE CAR SHIFTED ITSELF TO PARK AND APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE. I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE AND TAKE OFF THE PARKING BRAKE, WITH NO SUCCESS. THE VEHICLE INSTRUCTED TO GO BACK INTO PARK, WHICH IT DID WITHOUT MY INTERVENTION. I TRIED REVERSE AND NEUTRAL WITH NO EFFECT. ALL OTHER ELECTRONICS APPEARED TO WORK PROPERLY. I PUT ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS. I TRIED TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON BY PRESSING THE START BUTTON, BUT THE CAR REBOOTED SHOWING A GLOBE LIKE GRAPHIC WHICH SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF "RE-INITIALIZING". POLICE WERE CALLED AT THIS POINT AS I WAS LIMITING SAFE TRAFFIC MOVEMENT BY BLOCKING A LANE. I ATTEMPTED THE RESTARTING PROCEDURE REPETITIVELY, WITH NO SUCCESS TO GET THE VEHICLE MOVING AGAIN. A TOW TRUCK WAS REQUIRED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROAD AS THE ROAD WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO TRY PUSHING THE VEHICLE, AND THE CAR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO NEUTRAL. MY DEALERSHIP STATES THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE THE "TRANSMISSION" TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.

THE BOLT EV HAS A STEERING-WHEEL MOUNTED REGENERATIVE BREAKING PADDLE, WHICH APPLIES THE REGENERATIVE BREAKING, SLOWING THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, WHEN THE BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED, THIS PADDLE DOES NOTHING, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN SOME NEAR MISSES. A WARNING INDICATOR SHOULD BE PRESENT, OR THE DOCUMENTATION SHOULD SUGGEST ENABLING "HILLTOP RESERVE" TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO CHEVY, BUT NO RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED.