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Considering an electric car? Chevy is warning of a dangerous fire risk
Electric vehicles might be somewhat better for the environment, but several models have proven to be a danger to owners. Over the last few years, a variety of EV cars have been recalled over different issues.
Earlier this year, a Tesla S Plaid caught fire while the driver was still in the car. The owner had to force his way out of the vehicle, as the blaze seemingly caused the door locks to malfunction. The exact cause of the fire hasn’t been determined yet.
General Motors (GM) issued a recall last year, citing a fire hazard to Chevrolet Bolt models manufactured in 2017 and 2018. A defective battery was discovered to be the cause, made by LG Chem’s plant in Korea. Unfortunately, that isn’t the end of GM troubles.
Here’s the backstory
The recall in November 2020 affected around 50,000 Bolt models. The manufacturer urged owners to have their Chevrolet vehicles checked out. Several of the cars’ batteries could spontaneously catch fire.
As far as GM was concerned, the issue had been rectified after the recall notice was issued. But last week, two Bolt vehicles that were part of the original recall similarly caught fire.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are asking owners of 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVs who were part of the recall population to park their vehicles outdoors immediately after charging and not leave their vehicles charging overnight while we investigate these incidents,” GM said.
GM said that it has “developed a remedy to complete the previously announced safety recall.” All affected Bolt owners must take their vehicles to their nearest dealership. Diagnostic tools will be used to assess the batteries.
If the batteries are found to be faulty, they will be replaced. As an added safety measure, the company said it would also cover advanced onboard diagnostic software installation. This will detect any potential performance issues in the future.
What you need to do
If you have a 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt, you must park it outside immediately after charging. Also, don’t leave it to charge inside a building overnight. You also must go to a GM dealership to have your batteries checked out.
If you are unsure if your vehicle is potentially unsafe, you can enter your VIN on GM’s recall website. Even if your car isn’t in the initial recall pool, GM said that the advanced diagnostic software would be available to all other Bolt EV owners in the coming months. It will also be “standard in the 2022 Bolt EV and EUV, as well as future GM electric vehicles.”
If you have any questions, you can contact the dedicated customer support team, Chevrolet EV Concierge 1-833-EVCHEVY, available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. EST.
Keep reading
Recall alert: 400K pickups recalled over risk of exploding airbags
Half a million vehicles recalled – Check the full list for yours
Tags: airbags, battery, Chevrolet Bolt, customer support, Danger, electric vehicles, environment, fire hazard, Fire risk, recall, recall alert, safety, warning
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