Chevrolet Recalls All Bolts From 2019 To 2022 Model Years, Including From Dealers

The Chevy Volt battery fires continue, but the firm is unable to fully fix the problem. As a final measure, the brand intends to recall all 2019-2022 Bolt models in order to completely replace the battery.

Since the problem first arose in 2020, Chevrolet Bolt battery fires are a major thorn in GM's side. Initially for vehicles manufactured from model year 2017 to 2019, .

GM recalls all Bolt EV and EUV models

However, the problem will only get worse as GM has just announced that it will extend the recall even further. Plus remaining 2019 production, all Bolt and EUV EVs from model year 2020 to 2022. have been added to the list.

The recall adds 9,335 2019 model year 63,683 and 2020 vehicles built for the model year to date. In total, another 73,018 vehicles were recalled in the US and Canadian markets alone. This is more than double the original recall, which affected approximately 68,000 2022 vehicles worldwide. Because the recall covers model year vehicles, it includes vehicles that are currently on dealer lots and ready for sale.

Battery supplier GM plays a major role in recall

The news highlights broader issues with GM's battery supplier, LG Chem. The root cause of the 2017-2019 Bolts fires came down to defects found in cells manufactured at LG's battery factory. in Ochang, Korea. However, further investigations also revealed defects in cells manufactured at other LG facilities. It was this fact that expanded the recall to affect the entire Bolt fleet since 2019, as these vehicles used cells sourced from other LG battery factories.

Faults found in affected batteries include a combination of a broken anode terminal and a bent cage, both found in the same cell. The anode terminal is responsible for diverting electricity away from the cell, so any damage can result in higher resistance and thus higher temperatures under load. The separator material is a membrane that allows ions to pass through the cell while maintaining separate anode and cathode materials.

The separator is porous and very thin for this task. However, if it fails, it could cause an internal short circuit, resulting in rapid heating and possible fire. Therefore, if the thin gasket material is complex or not as it should be, this can lead to problems.

GM asks its battery supplier for a refund

The press release says that GM is asking LG to pay them back.. Huge sums have already been spent so far, and GM estimates that the new vehicles included in the recall will cost another billion dollars.

Once the vehicles have gone through the recall process, GM will provide owners with an 8-year/100,000 mile warranty that covers the battery.. In the meantime, owners are being asked to limit their car's charge level and

The news will come as a disappointment to the many thousands of Bolt owners who until now thought their cars weren't affected by the problem. Behind closed doors, executives will fight a bitter battle over what has been a disaster for GM's mass-market electric vehicles.

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