GM recalls all Chevy Bolt EVs for fire risk

DETROIT-- General Motors is expanding its Chevrolet Bolt recall to include all model years, including the new 2022 Bolt EUV and the redesigned 2022 Bolt EV.

The automaker will spend about $1 billion on the recall, on top of the $800 million it spent last quarter. Dealers are not permitted to sell the Bolts until they have applied the recall repair, which varies by model year.

"Our focus on safety and doing the right thing for our customers guides every decision we make at GM," Doug Parks, GM executive vice president, global product development, purchasing and supply chain, said in a statement Friday. "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."

The new recall includes 9,335 Bolt EVs from the 2019 model year that were not included in the previous recall (6,989 were sold in the U.S.) and 63,683 Bolt EVs and EUVs from the 2020-22 model years (52,403 were sold in the U.S.).

Batteries manufactured by LG and supplied to GM may have two manufacturing defects, a torn anode fab and a folded separator, in the same battery cell, which increases the risk of a fire, GM said. The defects have caused at least nine GM-confirmed fires.

GM will replace all modules in the 2017-2019 models, but only defective modules in the 2020-2022 Bolts.

Batteries with the new modules will come with an 8-year/100,000-mile limited warranty, GM said.

In July, GM recalled 2017-2019 Bolts for the second time in less than a year for fire risk. Two fires were reported after an initial recall in November, including one in a Bolt that had completed GM's recommended software update.

GM's initial recall covered 68,667 Bolts from the 2017-2019 model years, 50,925 of which were sold in the U.S.

This week, GM said it would replace all modules in the Bolts that had been recalled in July, rather than just the defective modules.

Bolts built for the 2017 and 2018 model years used the LG Chem batteries made in South Korea. Select 2019 models were excluded from the initial recall because their batteries were made in Holland, Mich. GM previously said Bolts built with the Michigan batteries were not affected.

GM previously said 2020 Bolts are not affected because they were built with a different battery chemistry that increased range. All Bolts are powered by GM's previous-generation battery architecture, not the proprietary Ultium battery that will power its future EV lineup, which includes the GMC Hummer pickup and SUV, Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Silverado EV.

The 2020-2022 Bolts were built with an updated battery cell technology compared with the earlier-generation Bolts. Replacing only defective modules in the 2020-2022 vehicles will speed up the repair process, spokesman Dan Flores said.

“We are working on a process to identify which modules are defect-free and which need to be replaced. Once we have a validated process, we will be able to replace only those modules that are actually defective,” he said.
For the 2017-2019 Bolts, all battery modules, defective or not, will be replaced with the newer battery cell technology.