2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
67 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
No Bolt EV year is an AVOID, but the 2019 and 2020 cars are CAUTION verdicts at 66 and 56, and the years to buy are 2021 and 2023, which both score 80, once the battery recall paperwork is complete. The 2017 and 2018 cars have no complaints on file and are DATA PENDING. Read the full note on the model page. 2021 specifically: a year the record favours — 67 complaints, score 80/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Chevrolet Volt, Bolt EV and Nissan Leaf: the years to avoid, including 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 67 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 13.4
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The electronic steering gear (steering rack) on my 2021 Chevrolet Bolt has malfunctioned, causing the steering to feel rough, stiff, and sticky. Crucially, the steering wheel fails to naturally return to the center position after completing a turn, forcing me to manually pull the wheel back straight. This poses a severe safety hazard, as the vehicle will continue turning off the road or into oncoming traffic unless a…
My 2021 Chevy Bolt keeps showing a battery or power-Propulsion warning light related to the high-voltage system. The warning keeps coming back even after multiple repairs. The first repair was on April 28, 2025, the second was on December 17, 2025, and it is scheduled again for another repair on March 3, 2026. The light is the same every time and affects the car’s performance and reliability. I’m concerned this could…
I was in a car accident on February 9th, in which my airbags did not deploy, however, I did receive an error in my Chevy app that my Air Bag system requires attention. I sustained facial injuries due to impact with the steering wheel. I believe the airbags should have deployed, but did not.
Recalls: 5 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 23V845000 | Structure:Body:Roof And Pillars | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. This recall includes certain vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under NHTSA recall number 22V-930. |
| 22V930000 | Structure:Body:Roof And Pillars | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. After a crash with seat belt pretensioner deployment, the pretensioner exhaust may ignite carpet fibers near the B-pillar, causing a fire. |
| 21V650000 | Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction Battery | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV vehicles. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity. |
| 24V481000 | Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction Battery | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV vehicles that were previously remedied under recall number 21V-650. The advanced diagnostic software may have been incorrectly installed and fail to detect defective battery modules, possibly resulting in a battery fire. |
| 24V812000 | Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction Battery | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2022 Bolt EUV vehicles previously repaired under Recall 21V-650. The installation of advanced diagnostic software may have failed. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 118 MPGe · estimated annual energy cost $650 · EPA range 259 mi
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Electrical System33 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Fuel/Propulsion System15 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Unknown Or Other12 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Power Train10 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Steering9 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Engine4 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
Other Chevrolet Bolt EV years
Chevrolet Bolt EV years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (33 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 80/100, computed from 67 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV's most common problem?
33 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV cost to run per year?
About $2,274 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $11,370 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 14/12/2023. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 67 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 67 NHTSA complaints on record (13.4/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (20.0/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems