GM Angers Bolt EV Owners With New Recall Plan Offering Diagnostic Software, Not Batteries

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General Motors is changing the way it handles an old recall related to the Chevrolet Bolt EV. Instead of replacing the battery in every unit, it’ll install software that monitors the battery’s condition. Installation of a new battery will only take place when service technicians find an issue with the pack already in the vehicle. That change has upset some Bolt owners.

Chevrolet issued the above-mentioned recall back in 2021 after a number of Bolts caught fire. At the time it said that it would replace the entire battery pack for basically every single Bolt EV between 2017 and 2022. The issue was so bad that it halted production for a time. As you can tell, Chevrolet wants to save all the cash it can after something like that and it’s found a way to do that.

Instead of simply and expensively replacing the entire battery pack in all of the affected Bolt EV population, it’s going a new route for 2020-2022 models. Those included in the recall (who haven’t received a new battery already) will now instead get a software update. Included with it is a program that monitors and tests the battery.

Read: BMW Recalls iX EVs Over Cruise Control Issue That Can Cause Unintended Acceleration

If the battery passes these tests, which take about 6,200 miles of driving, it’ll be cleared for duty. As a part of that clearance, the battery will again be allowed to fully charge to 100 percent.

Initially, Chevrolet limited the range to just 80 percent to reduce the chance of a fire until the recall could be completed in the entire population. This shift has upset many owners despite the fact that it should be a much faster fix.

Spotted by Electrek, one Reddit user pointed out that he bought his 2021 Bolt with the expectation of getting a new battery. That would, in effect, improve the value of his vehicle and now there’s a chance that it won’t happen.

Here’s what they said:

“So I bought my 2021 bolt 3 months ago, contingent that it didn’t have the battery replaced yet because I wanted the new battery and warranty. Bought at 9.7k miles and currently have 12.2k miles. Bought it at a BMW dealer.

I’m at a loss atm, literally the only reason I bought a used bolt was basically getting a brand new vehicle after the replacement. I had options to buy a new one (weirdly various dealers had new ones around Central florida so I had plenty to choose from at the time). I got a decent deal on the car but now my thoughts are the car will be devalued compared to replaced battery’s, I don’t have a new warranty, I don’t know how the previous owner took care of the battery’s, I “settled” on an lt instead of getting something more loaded or new model. And I’ve been running at 80% since I bought the car so it’s been slightly an inconvenience on range.

Basically what is my course of action for this? If they add the software with a new warranty I guess that’d be comparable, but as it stands I don’t want this vehicle, I feel like I got conned and gm is taking the east way out and not paying the millions it would cost to replace the rest of the batteries.

Obviously consult a lawyer is #1 but what kind of lawyer? What do I ask for? Any help is appreciated thank you for your time”

At the end of the day though, one could claim that GM never promised new batteries no matter what. It simply vowed to fix the issue and this move still seems to do that. But that’s far from an ideal solution for owners who paid for a vehicle that works just as advertised without having to worry about battery issues.

At the end of the day, however, one could argue that GM never explicitly promised new batteries under any circumstances. They only pledged to address the issue, and this action still appears to fulfill that commitment. Nevertheless, this is far from an ideal solution for owners who purchased a vehicle expecting it to function exactly as advertised, without any concerns about battery problems.