Chevrolet Bolt EVs Recalled for Fires

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General Motors is recalling 2017-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles because after a crash with seat belt pretensioner deployment, the pretensioner exhaust may ignite carpet fibers near the B-pillar.

More than 111,000 Bolt EVs are being recalled for repairs because of an incident in Korea. GM said that the estimated percentage of Bolt’s with the defect is 1%.

In the required National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filing made public today, GM said, “This recall will be launched in two phases, under bulletins N222383790 and N222383791. Notification to owners of vehicles that require only installation of the foil barrier is estimated to begin January 30, 2023.

“Owners of vehicles that also require installation of the pretensioner cover will begin receiving interim notification on 30 January 2023. GM will provide an owner notification estimate for this second phase once availability of the pretensioner covers can be estimated.”

Dealers will install metal foil at the carpet near the pretensioner exhaust, and install a pretensioner cover as necessary, free of charge as required by Federal regulations. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 30 January 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM’s number for this recall is N222383790. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov. The NHTSA Campaign Number is 22V930000.

The fire problem was submitted to GM’s Speak Up For Safety (SUFS) program on 15 September 2022, following a report of a 2018 model year Chevrolet Bolt EV in Korea that experienced a fire appearing to have originated in the right-side lower B-pillar area. GM opened an investigation on 24 October 2022.

GM’s investigation identified a total of three potentially relevant field incidents in the subject Bolt EVs involving exhaust from a deployed pretensioner igniting carpet fibers near the B-pillar. GM received notice of these claims on 26 May 2021, 29 August 2022, and 17 October 2022. On 8 December 2022, GM’s Safety Field Action Decision Authority (SFADA) decided to conduct a safety recall.