Navigating The 2021 Chevy Bolt Recall In The Sarasota Area
Corbin Sutter
Personal Injury
Alongside the massive Volkswagen recall from late 2020, there’s another major recall in the automotive world for the latter portion of 2021. Starting in August, GM has decided to expand the Chevrolet Bolt recall to include all vehicles, including model years 2017 through 2022. Even those who have had an earlier fix to the battery will need to be taken in to have the battery packs replaced once again. For those in the Sarasota region driving a 2017 through 2022 Chevrolet Bolt, it’s important to park the vehicle away from buildings and to take great care when charging. The issue at the root of this major recall is the high voltage battery pack within the vehicle. The battery pack may be susceptible to catching fire, leading to the burning of the vehicle as well as any structures the vehicle may be close to. While the problem has been fairly rare so far, only 7 vehicles have caught fire, GM is aware that additional vehicles could catch fire at any time due to these faulty high-voltage battery packs.
Unfortunately, Chevrolet and GM do not have a workable solution to the battery issue at this time. Two previous recalls have affected the Chevrolet Bolt in November 2020 and July 2021, including model years 2017-2019. Some of these previously recalled vehicles have been “fixed”, but Chevrolet and GM now claim that these repairs will need to be re-made and the “repaired” vehicles should instead be treated as though the recall has yet to be resolved.
What Should I Do If I Am Driving One Of The Recalled Chevrolet Bolts?
If you’re in the Sarasota region and driving one of the affected Chevy Bolt vehicles, Chevrolet and GM recommend the following:
• Park outside and away from structures – Owners of Chevy Bolt vehicles should always park their cars outside and away from structures. This means avoiding using garages, parking garages, parking too closely to stores or other buildings, and parking further away in parking lots away from other vehicles when possible. If the battery pack does catch fire, this will limit damages to other structures of dangerous house fires starting in garages.
• Set the vehicle to the 90% charge limitation – Using the Hilltop Reserve Mode in 2017-2018 models, or the Target Charge Mode in later models, set the vehicle to a 90% charge limitation. This will ensure that the vehicles do no “over charge” and place excess stress on the high-voltage battery packs. If owners cannot make the change themselves, GM is suggesting Chevy Bolt owners go to their closest Sarasota area dealership to have the change made for them.
• Recharge after each use – Waiting until the battery is nearly drained to recharge the vehicle, like if the vehicle has gone into deep discharge mode, could make the battery more susceptible to a dangerous malfunction. GM and Chevrolet are suggesting Bolt owners recharge their vehicles after each use if possible and to not allow the battery to get too run down.
What If My Chevy Bolt Catches Fire?
If your Chevy Bolt catches fire before a proper repair can be made, you do have options. Seeking the assistance of a skilled Sarasota area personal injury attorney can give you a path to follow to ensure you receive appropriate compensation for your damages. While only a few vehicles have caught fire so far, Chevy is trying to work quickly to come up with a solution before any more Bolt vehicles follow suit. To learn more about your options, contact us at AllInjuriesLawFirm.com today.