This preliminary informational (PI) bulletin provides information to dealership personnel that may be helpful when addressing underbody component corrosion with customers.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV powertrain problems
severe Owners of the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV have filed 10 NHTSA complaints about the powertrain at roughly $2,500 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See powertrain across all vehicles →
Complaints
10
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
| Model year | powertrain complaints |
|---|---|
| 2019 Bolt EV | 13 |
| 2020 Bolt EV | 11 |
| 2021 Bolt EV (this page) | 10 |
| 2022 Bolt EV | 9 |
2crashes
What stands out
No new NHTSA powertrain complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 4 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering powertrain on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
This service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk noise. This is a slight movement that is more often seen visually, rather than felt, when viewed from the outside and using the auto-start feature, if equipped.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This engineering information (EI) will assist GM to recover a small number of electric vehicle battery packs from customer-owned vehicles in the field for further engineering study and analysis.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging or shipping. This bulletin advises the dealers to be more careful not to damage the transmissions during removal and to package the core properly for return.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides information on Driveline Clunk Noise and what is acceptable and what is considered normal operation.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
These 2021 Bolt EV owners describe powertrain faults ranging from loss of propulsion to sudden uncontrolled acceleration. The most frequent complaint centers on drive control wiring harness failures, particularly after DC fast charging, where vehicles either won't start, won't shut off, or lose the ability to shift gears. One owner experienced this five times, with the fifth incident occurring at highway speed; temporary fixes like jiggling the shifter or disconnecting the 12V battery worked initially but eventually failed, requiring a complete harness replacement.
Several owners report sudden uncommanded acceleration—one vehicle accelerated to full throttle when shifted from reverse to drive in a parking lot and traveled 250 feet through a field at high speed despite continuous brake pressure and transmission selector changes. Another owner's vehicle shifted itself into park during forward motion, producing a metal grinding noise and lurching passengers forward without any driver input to the shifter.
Power loss during normal driving appears as a separate pattern: vehicles lost all propulsion while accelerating or merging on freeways, sometimes with warning messages about propulsion faults, sometimes with none. One owner's wiring harness failure during a stall left the car locked in neutral and unable to shift—the repair ran $3,200 in labor alone. A separate failure involved a Manual Disconnect Lever that disconnected and blew a fuse with no root cause identified by GM.
Same Chevrolet Bolt EV powertrain reports on nearby years: 2019 · 2020
Failure modes owners describe
Drive Control Wiring Harness Failure
Loss of propulsion control and inability to shift after DC fast charging, accompanied by radio and AC shutdown. Car either won't start or won't shut off. Issue became critical when it occurred while moving and temporary workarounds (jiggling shifter, removing 12V battery) no longer worked.
When: After Level 3 DC charging sessions; fifth occurrence while vehicle was in motion
Symptoms owners cite: Car won't start or won't shut off after charging; Cannot shift into reverse or drive; Radio and AC shut down while car remains powered on; Service soon indicator light illuminates; Conditions not right for shifting warning light; Issue recurs during highway driving
Codes mentioned: Propulsion system fault (OnStar diagnostics)
Repairs/costs cited: Drive control wiring harness replacement required at dealer
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owner states this problem is well documented on GM Bolt forums and should have been recalled prior to complaint
Uncommanded Extreme Acceleration
Vehicle accelerated uncontrollably to full throttle immediately upon shifting from reverse to drive in a parking lot, traveled 250 feet across lot, street, and into a field at high speed despite continuous brake pedal application and multiple transmission selector inputs. No airbags deployed on impact.
When: After backing out of parking space, approximately 2,700 miles or newer
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden extreme acceleration upon shifting from R to D; Vehicle would not respond to brake pedal input; Vehicle would not respond to transmission selector mode changes; Continued acceleration through parking lot, street, and field; High-speed impact without airbag deployment
Uncommanded Park Engagement During Forward Motion
Vehicle shifted itself into park while being driven in forward position, producing a loud metallic grinding noise and jolting passengers forward. No physical contact with shifter occurred. Accelerator pedal subsequently began to vibrate and shake.
When: At 2,430 miles, during normal forward driving departure from driveway
Symptoms owners cite: Car shifted into park without driver input while in forward motion; Loud metallic grinding noise during park engagement; Vehicle lurched forward; Accelerator pedal vibration and shaking after incident
Gear Shift Lever Sensitivity / Accidental Reverse Shift
Gear shift lever button sensitivity allowed accidental shifts from intended mode into reverse gear when fingers rested on top of the selector push button during normal operation. Driver shifted into reverse instead of low-mode while stopped at red light, causing vehicle to lurch backward when accelerator was pressed.
When: While stopped at red light
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle shifted into R (reverse) unintentionally when attempting to select L (low one-pedal driving) mode; Vehicle lurched backward when accelerator applied; Driver could duplicate the issue a second time; No warning light or alert before shift
Loss of Propulsion with Manual Disconnect Lever Disconnection
Vehicle lost all propulsion while driving, with owner hearing noise from under car. Diagnostics revealed Manual Disconnect Lever was disconnected and a fuse was blown. GM customer service provided no root cause explanation and stated that this failure 'happens,' with no remedy offered.
When: While driving on road
Symptoms owners cite: Noise from under vehicle; Complete loss of propulsion power; Vehicle coasted to stop
Repairs/costs cited: Manual Disconnect Lever was disconnected; fuse was blown
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM stated 'It happens' with no root cause explanation or remedy
Loss of Drive Power While Accelerating
Drive system stopped functioning while vehicle was accelerating on highway. Vehicle slowed to stop with error messages about propulsion displayed. Vehicle would not move under its own power. All other systems remained operational but hazard lights malfunctioned during shutdown sequence.
When: While accelerating on road
Symptoms owners cite: Drive system suddenly stops functioning; Propulsion error messages displayed; Vehicle unable to move under own power; Hazard lights do not stay on during power down
Codes mentioned: Propulsion error
Loss of Power During Freeway Merge
Vehicle lost power while merging onto freeway at 50-70 MPH after blind zone alert. Car experienced shuddering immediately before power loss. Vehicle would not restart and required towing. Dealership warranty repair took 9 days.
When: During freeway merge at highway speed (50-70 MPH)
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle shuddering during acceleration merge; Sudden loss of power; Vehicle will not restart
Repairs/costs cited: Warranty repair performed at dealership; 9-day repair duration
Sudden Stall with Shift Lock
Vehicle stalled suddenly while on road. After stall, vehicle could not be shifted out of neutral into any driving gear. Diagnostics at dealer identified wiring harness as cause. Repair involved expensive component and high labor cost.
When: While driving on road
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden stall while driving; Unable to shift from neutral to any driving gear after stall; Complete immobility
Repairs/costs cited: $400 wiring harness component with approximately $3,200 labor cost
Synthesized from 10 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
While accelerating, the vehicle's drive system stopped functioning. The vehicle slowly came to a stop while displaying errors about the propulsion, and was no longer able to move under it's own power. All other systems were still working, however the hazard lights do not stay on when I had to try powering the vehicle off and back on again. The vehicle has been towed to a Chevrolet dealership for…
High voltage battery has been recalled due to fire risk on 8.20.2021. No remedy for repair has been performed and I have had difficulty getting information from GM regarding my vehicle swap due to the recall. The vehicle is becoming more unusable as the weather gets colder due to the charging limitations set in the recall.
Had powertrain trouble with your 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV?
It's a meaningful issue. 10 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $2,500.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Based on the 10 complaints filed, powertrain issues most often appear around 2,700 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2021/Chevrolet/Bolt EV.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.