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General Motors (GM) has been hit with a pair of class action lawsuits claiming the fix put in place to prevent Chevy Bolt EV battery fires comes with its own set of problems.
The lawsuits, one filed in Illinois in December and the other more recently in Michigan, accuse GM of violating state consumer protection laws, federal warranty law, and fraud. According to the plaintiffs, the software update issued in response to the defect reduces the vehicle’s battery capacity.
The car owners point out that, after struggling with the defect that could cause spontaneous fires, they are now facing a 10 percent reduction in battery power limiting the vehicle’s usable range.
GM also faces a class action lawsuit in California, this one over the alleged defect that causes the Chevy Bolt EV to ignite into flames.
“Unfortunately, GM traded safety concerns for increased range, pushing the Bolt’s range beyond the battery’s capability in order to market the vehicle’s battery range,” alleges the California class action lawsuit.
Chevy Bolt EV Battery Fire Recall
On Oct. 9, 2020, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reportedly launched an investigation affecting nearly 78,000 Chevy Bolts from model years 2017 to 2020 after reports of spontaneous fires. The reports concerned vehicles that appeared to unexpectedly ignite while parked and unattended.
As a result, GM recalled 69,000 Chevy Bolt EV models made between 2017 and 2019. The carmaker issued a temporary fix; the software update that plaintiffs in the Michigan and Illinois class actions contend diminish the usability and value of their vehicles.
The class action lawsuits contend that GM concealed the defects, selling dangerous vehicles to unsuspecting consumers. They say that GM’s “fix” of reducing battery capacity further reduces the value of the vehicles.
When asked about a permanent fix to the Chevy Bolt EV battery fire defect, a Chevy spokesperson told GM Authority, “We have hundreds of engineers working around the clock on the issue and we have made progress on identifying the cause and potential remedies,” adding that the automaker hoped to have a solution by April.
Do you own a Chevy Bolt EV that was affected by the battery fire recall? Tell us about your experience in the comment section below.
The Illinois plaintiffs are represented by Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith, LLP.
The Michigan plaintiffs are represented by Keller Rohrback L.L.P., Markovits, and Stock & DeMarco, LLC.
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12 thoughts onThe Fix for Chevy Bolt EV Battery Fires Sparks Class Action Lawsuits
I have two concerns with the recall on Chevrolet Bolt: (1) our car charger is in the garage basement of our 13 unit condo building. Despite the dealer “fix”, we are concerned about a building fire. (2) we specifically bought the Bolt for its greater range than our previous EV so we could take longer day trips. We are now in our second year of not being able to do that. Every lost year of travel in our retirement years, especially after losing over a year to sheltering, is very upsetting. Additionally, it appears no resolution is in sight. I feel we should be refunded in full for our car due to its limited use. It is our only car.
I have a 2020 Chevy bolt and it smells like burning electrical every time I drive it. The doors unlock by themselves, the USB ports have stopped working in the center, the screen overheats and freezes, and I swear the mileage has gone down or the battery loses charge quicker. I called Chevy they offered me a loaner, until they can get my car fixed, but that sucks because I’m paying for a car I can’t drive. 70% depletion only on the battery and 90% max charge. I drive 80miles to work. Clearly those ranges don’t work for me. I also live in Ca where gas prices are at 5 dollars a Gallon the whole reason for buying the car was to help me with my commute. So disappointed, love that stupid car. Did sign up for the class action lawsuit for the Ca lemon law. Hopefully they can make it happen and take the car off my hands. I don’t want something I cannot trust or drive