2019 Chevrolet Bolt Safety Report

The 2019 Chevrolet Bolt exhibits a concerning safety profile, primarily due to a high volume of steering-related complaints. With 167 total complaints, a significant portion, 36 complaints, are specifically attributed to the STEERING component, with many detailing a critical issue where the steering wheel fails to return to center after a turn. This defect, often linked to the steering rack and pinion, poses a substantial safety risk as it requires manual force to straighten the vehicle, potentially leading to overcorrection or delayed response in critical driving situations. Despite the severity and frequency of these complaints, there are currently no recalls issued for the 2019 Bolt, which is a notable absence given the nature of the reported steering failures. Beyond steering, the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM is the most frequently cited component, with 49 complaints, sometimes in conjunction with the FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM (14 complaints) or UNKNOWN OR OTHER issues (4 complaints). While specific details on all electrical complaints are not provided, some sample complaints mention issues like infotainment screen freezing with loud static, and water infiltration leading to fried sound amplifiers and loss of safety system warnings. The vehicle has also reported 10 fires and 5 injuries, indicating serious incidents, though the direct cause of these fires is not detailed in the provided data. The lack of NHTSA crash test ratings (Overall, Frontal, Side, Rollover are all N/A) means there is no independent assessment of its crashworthiness. The overall safety picture for the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt is concerning due to the prevalent and potentially dangerous steering defect, the significant number of electrical system complaints, and the reported fires and injuries, all without the mitigating factor of any recalls. The absence of NHTSA crash test data further limits a comprehensive safety assessment. Buyers should be aware of these documented issues, particularly the steering problem, which appears to be a widespread and acknowledged flaw among owners.

Our recommendation: Given the widespread and critical steering issues, numerous electrical complaints, and reported fires without any recalls, potential buyers should exercise extreme caution and thoroughly inspect the steering system before purchase, ideally with a pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic.