General Motors warns Bolt EV owners as 2 more vehicles caught fire

*The automaker says owners of the affected vehicles to not park them or charge them unattended overnight because they could catch fire

Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

General Motors (GM) has sent a warning to owners of 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV cars that were involved in a recent recall.

ConsumerConnect gathered the automaker in an updated call Wednesday, July 14, 2021, cautioned the owners of these vehicles should not park them or charge them unattended overnight because they could catch fire.

There have been three recent Chevy Bolt EV fires, the company stated, adding, that two of those fires occurred within the past two weeks.

GM said: “General Motors has been notified of two recent Chevrolet Bolt EV fire incidents in vehicles that were remedied as part of the safety recall announced in November 2020,”

“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.”

While stressing that fire risks are still present in the affected cars, General Motors and the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) originally, issued the recall November 2020, following reports that the vehicles’ high-voltage batteries can catch fire if fully charged or near full capacity.

In April 2021, the automaker also announced the next step in the recall process.

At the time, GM said Chevrolet EV dealers could use newly developed diagnostic tools to identify problems in vehicle batteries so that faulty assemblies can be replaced, agency report noted.

The company, again this week, said that it learned of another fire that happened in New Jersey, in the United States.

That vehicle, as well as another one that recently caught fire, had been repaired as part of the recall effort, said the company.

The NHTSA said Wednesday that battery cell packs in the affected vehicles could potentially ignite internally, which could be particularly dangerous if the vehicle is parked inside a garage or near a house.

The company said: “Customers who have not had the remedy completed should still visit their dealer for the recall remedy while our investigation continues.

“At GM, safety is our highest priority, and we are moving as quickly as we can to investigate this issue.”

Meanwhile, affected consumers are required to visit the GM Web site, their preferred Chevrolet EV dealer, or contact the Chevrolet EV Concierge on 1-833-EVCHEVY for additional information or to request a repair.

Kindly Share This Story