2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV problems & reliability
341 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
5 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles were involved in 6 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 119 | 35% |
| Electrical System | 114 | 33% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 70 | 21% |
| Unknown OR Other | 32 | 9% |
| Power Train | 27 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 22 | 6% |
| Engine | 16 | 5% |
| Visibility/wiper | 12 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 3% |
| Suspension | 7 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 23,350 miles (middle 50% between 6,675 and 40,945 miles), based on 74 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Steering is binding, does not return to center when turning, it has play in the steering, and rattles and shakes when driving in the highway. Dealer said it needs a steering shaft replacement. The car has been doing this since it had less than 50k miles. There were no warning lamps or messages. Since this is steering…”
Steering · filed Jul 30, 2026
“Infotainment unit did not come on. Connection error displayed. Backup camera did not display when in reverse.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 14, 2026
“Infotainment unit did not boot up. Had a communications error. No rear back up camera view when put car in to reverse.”
Visibility/wiper · filed Jul 13, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect Petition DP22005 · opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
- Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
Preliminary Evaluation PE20016 · opened Oct 9, 2020 · closed Feb 7, 2022 · led to recall 21V650000
Technical service bulletins
1,054 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The 10 most recent:
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
Certain vehicles may have been sold with a GM NACS Level 2 EV charging adapter (NACS to J1772) in which a quality issue was identified. Dealers are to provide the customer with the latest design charging adapter.
N252541510 · Service Campaign · issued Mar 3, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902U · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 8, 2026
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions…
PIT5214G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2025
New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
13598 · Other · issued Sep 9, 2025
This Warranty Administration service bulletin provides Lithium-Ion battery Exchange Process and Transaction Submission information.
18-NA-180 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 4, 2025
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902T · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 14, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 23,350 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.