General Motors on Aug. 20 widened an ongoing recall of the Chevrolet Bolt EV to cover the remaining 2019 and all 2020-2022 model year vehicles, including the Bolt EUV, according to a press release.
In rare circumstances, the batteries supplied to GM for these vehicles may have two manufacturing defects – a torn anode tab and folded separator – present in the same battery cell, which increases the risk of fire. Out of an abundance of caution, GM will replace defective battery modules in Chevrolet Bolt EVs and EUVs with new modules, with an expected additional cost of about $1 billion.
This recall affects 73,018 Chevrolet Bolt vehicles. The previous recall spanned 50,932 MY 2017-19 Bolts. The double-down recall comes as GM has promoted goals to sell only electric vehicles by 2035.
In one incident, the Vermont State Police publicized a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV that caught fire on July 1 in the driveway of state Rep. Timothy Briglin, CNBC reported. GM has confirmed one fire in the new segment of recalled vehicles in addition to at least nine previous confirmed fires in the first round of vehicles that were recalled, according to the cable news channel.
Doug Parks, GM executive vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain, said in the GM release, “As leaders in the transition to an all-electric future, we know that building and maintaining trust is critical. GM customers can be confident in our commitment to taking the steps to ensure the safety of these vehicles.”
After further investigating the manufacturing processes at LG and disassembling battery packs, GM discovered defects in certain battery cells produced at LG manufacturing facilities beyond the Ochang, Korea, plant. GM and LG are working to rectify the cause of these defects. Meanwhile, GM is pursuing commitments from LG for reimbursement of this field action.
This new recall volume includes:
9,335 (6,989 in the U.S. and 1,212 in Canada) – 2019 model year Bolt EVs that were not included in the previous recall
63,683 (52,403 in the U.S. and 9,019 in Canada) – 2020–2022 model year Chevrolet Bolt EVs and EUVs
Batteries with these new modules will come with an 8-year/100,000-mile limited warranty (or 8-year/160,000 km limited warranty in Canada).
GM is working with LG to increase production as soon as possible. GM will notify customers when replacement parts are ready. Until customers in the new recall receive replacement modules, they should:
1. Set their vehicle to a 90% state of charge limitation using target charge level mode. Instructions on how to do this are available on chevy.com/boltevrecall. If customers are unable to make these changes, or do not feel comfortable doing so, GM is asking them to visit their dealer to complete the adjustments.
2. Charge their vehicle more frequently and avoid depleting their battery below about 70 miles (113 km) of remaining range, where possible.
3. Park their vehicles outside immediately after charging and not leave their vehicles charging indoors overnight.
Customers can visit www.chevy.com/boltevrecall or contact the Chevrolet EV Concierge 1-833-EVCHEVY (available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.–midnight ET; Saturday and Sunday from Noon – 9 p.m. ET) or contact their preferred Chevrolet EV dealer.
Canadian customers can visit the Chevrolet Owner’s Centre or contact their preferred dealer.
