The Bolt EV and Bolt EUV battery fire risk saga continues with yet another safety recall. Back in 2020, dealers were required to install monitoring software for early detection of iffy cells, which proved ineffective after two updated vehicles caught fire. GM reluctantly expanded the recall in 2021 to include all Bolt vehicles delivered up to that point, as in just around 141,000 units.
Newer models produced from the 2020 model year onwards were treated to battery monitoring software, then General Motors rolled out a second update in late 2021. Said update is programmed to limit the maximum charge to 80% for several thousand miles while also keeping an eye out for battery abnormalities.
Closer to the present day, enter safety recall number N242443000. Dubbed 24V-481 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the latest recall concerns the incomplete or incorrect installation of the aforementioned update. Only a handful of vehicles are potentially affected, with GM identifying a population of 66 Bolt EVs and 6 Bolt EUVs in the US market.
Said vehicles were produced for the 2020 through 2022 model years in the Bolt EV's case or 2022 alone for the crossover-styled sibling, with manufacturing dates of November 14, 2019 through June 23, 2021. The incomplete or incorrect installation was reported to GM's bigwigs via Speak Up For Safety, a program introduced during the ignition switch debacle. As a brief refresher, the final totals are 124 deaths and 275 injuries caused by flawed switches.
Turning our attention back to the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, the Detroit-based automaker started looking into the alleged problem back on April 5, 2024. The subsequent review of service records made it clear that certain vehicles are still prone to catching fire, prompting GM to recall vehicles that had been previously recalled in 2021.
Photo: Chevrolet
What a mess, huh? Looking at the bigger picture, the Detroit-based manufacturer didn't try to sweep these incomplete or incorrect installations under the rug. That certainly was the standard prior to Mary Barra taking over from Dan Akerson in 2013, and even more so prior to the financial crash that saw GM getting bailed out with taxpayers' money by Bush and Obama.
Dealers have already been instructed to follow the proper module reprogramming sequence to ensure the correct installation of the diagnostic software. However, owners will have to wait until August 5 at the earliest to receive mailed notifications. Those who are too anxious to wait that long should simply enter the 17-character VIN on Chevy's website or the NTHSA's site.
Also sold as the Opel Ampera-e in Europe, the Bolt EV was also planned in right-hand drive as the Ampera-e for the United Kingdom. The latter didn't materialize. Not long after the first Ampera-e vehicles were shipped to dealers, GM sold its European division and brands to PSA, thus paving the way for Stellantis, a.k.a. Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA joining forces.
General Motors returned – officially – to Europe in late 2023 with the newly EV-centric Cadillac brand. Unfortunately, the BEV3-based Cadillac Lyriq isn't exactly the segment's best electric sport utility vehicle in this part of the world.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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