General Motors is expanding its Chevy Bolt electric vehicle recall by adding the 2020 through 2022 vehicles to the list of impacted vehicles. Previously, the company had listed the 2017 through 2019 models only. With this expansion, GM is essentially recalling every Chevy Bolt car ever made. This adds up to nearly 142,000 vehicles that are mostly all owned by U.S. drivers.
The recall came after the firm learned that when the Chevy Volt’s batteries are charged to 100%, they are at risk of catching fire. Initially, GM told car owners to charge their batteries up to 90% until a fix was produced. While the issue appeared to be with the LG Chem battery cells, the firm wasn’t sure it had to replace all batteries to have the problem addressed. As GM expanded the recall, however, the firm decided to replace all defective batteries.
Due to the high number of vehicles impacted by the recall, GM is working with LG Chem to ramp up the production of replacement batteries. Until there are enough replacements available, the firm is urging drivers to avoid allowing the vehicles’ estimated range dip below 70 miles and to keep batteries charged up to 90 percent. It is also recommending that Chevy Volt owners park their vehicles outside.
Additional Chevy Volt Fire Following Recall Prompted Expansion
Initially, GM believed that only older models were prone to experiencing battery fires. But just a few months ago, the company learned of a fire involving a 2019 Chevy Bolt in Chandler, Arizona. This incident revealed that newer cars fitted with batteries that were not from the same batch used in the older models were also at risk.
Due to the nature of this recall, the firm has not announced a timetable for when battery packs will be replaced. It will depend on how quickly GM and LG Chem will be able to produce the necessary number of batteries. Until then, impacted vehicle owners should not ignore the ten battery fires reported so far.
Heed the manufacturer’s instructions and keep an eye out for GM’s recall notification letters.
If you own a Volt vehicle and you’re not sure whether the manufacturer has your current contact information, make sure your vehicle’s registration is up to date. Additionally, you can subscribe to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)’s email alerts.
All you have to do is enter your email address and your car’s information such as year, make, and model. Whenever your car is recalled, you will get an alert from the NHTSA in your inbox.
