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Your vehicleHome›Chevrolet›Bolt EV› 2018
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.
Chevrolet · Compact Hatchback

2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV

Electric
Small Station Wagons
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
F
Safety Signal
52 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Counts recalls, not crash safety — this vehicle earned 5 of 5 stars from NHTSA. A much-recalled best-seller scores low here; see the methodology.
Recalls3 critical 5
Complaints2 crash · 1 fire · 2 injured reported 89
Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★
EV rangebest configuration, EPA 238 mi
2023202220212020201920182017

The 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV is sold in the U.S. as an electric compact hatchback. Its longest-range version, the Bolt EV, is EPA-rated at 238 miles with 119 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 3 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 89 complaints, most often about the steering. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Chevrolet Bolt — photograph via Wikimedia Commons
Chevrolet Bolt · Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombRangekWh/100miCharge (240V)Annual fuel*
Bolt EVElectricFWD150 kW ACPM128110119 MPGe238 mi28.39.3 h$650

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39786.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
Bolt EV10 / 10California ZEV / Federal Tier 3 Bin 0All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standardsSmartWay Elite

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body styleHatchback/Liftback/Notchback
Doors4
GVWR classClass 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Output

Horsepower200 hp

Fuel Economy

FuelElectric

Seating

Seat rows2
Seating capacity5 seats

Transmission

DrivetrainFWD/Front-Wheel Drive

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control

Optional: Automatic emergency braking, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: LT, Premier). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Also on file Beside the 2018 Bolt EV
Head to head vs the 2018 Toyota Prius c Other years The 2023 Bolt EV Recalls Chevrolet recalls
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Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV is in the years where high-voltage electronics and module repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.

What to check before you buy →

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Recalls (5)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Structure

N232421970
6,771 vehicles 88% reported repaired
Problem 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. After a crash with seat belt pretensioner deployment, the pretensioner exhaust may ignite carpet fibers near the B-pillar, causing a fire. Risk A fire increases the risk of injury. Fix Dealers will inspect both front seat belt pretensioners and, if necessary, install metal foil at the carpet near the pretensioner exhaust. Certain vehicles will also need a pretensioner cover installed. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2024. These vehicles were previously recalled for this same issue under recall number 22V-930 and will need to have the new remedy performed. Owners may contact GM EV Concierge at 1-833-EVCHEVY (1-83
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 23V845000 reported Dec 14, 2023 General Motors, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
!critical

Structure

N222383790
111,242 vehicles 88% reported repaired
Problem 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. Risk A vehicle fire can increase the risk of injury. Fix Dealers will install metal foil at the carpet near the pretensioner exhaust, and install a pretensioner cover as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed between January 23, 2023 and April 25, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N222383790.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 22V930000 reported Dec 15, 2022 General Motors, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
!critical

Electrical System

N212343880
Park outside 57,414 vehicles 98% reported repaired
Problem General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 20V-701. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity. Risk A battery fire increases the risk of injury. Fix Owners are advised to take the following interim steps: Activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (2019 models) feature in their vehicle to limit the charge level to 90%, charge their vehicle more frequently, avoid depleting the battery to 70 miles range remaining, park outside after charging, and do not charge the vehicle indoors overnight. Defective battery modules will be replaced by GM, free of charge. Interim notification letters notifying owners o
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 21V560000 reported Jul 23, 2021 General Motors, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
!critical

Electrical System

N202311730
Park outside 50,932 vehicles
Problem General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling all 2017-2018 and certain 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capacity. Risk A battery fire increases the risk of injury. Fix This recall has been superseded by recall number 21V-560. Vehicles previously repaired under 20V-701 will still need to have the new remedy under recall 21V-560. GM will notify owners, and as an interim repair, beginning on November 17, 2020, dealers will reprogram the hybrid propulsion control module 2 (HPCM2) to limit the full charge to 90%, free of charge. Owners are advised to activate either the Hill Top Reserve (2017 and 2018 models) or Target Charge Level (2019 models) feature in their
Filed with NHTSADefect report PDFOwner letter PDF
NHTSA campaign 20V701000 reported Nov 13, 2020 General Motors LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

18279
210,628 vehicles 96% reported repaired built Mar 27, 2018 – Jul 17, 2018
Problem General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance. Risk A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash. Fix GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF
NHTSA campaign 18V576000 reported Aug 30, 2018 General Motors LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Equipment:Electrical — Electrical arcing and thermal events, potentially leading to fires, while utilizing Enel X Way USA, LLC's JuiceBox resid closed

On October 3, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE24028 to investigate alleged failures of Enel X Way's JuiceBox Level 2 residential EV chargers. The allegations were described as thermal incidents and electrical malfunctions, which could trip the circuit breakers in Juicebox owners’ homes and disrupt electric vehicle charge cycles. On October 2, 2024, Enel X Way posted on its website that Enel X Way North America would cease operations in the United States and Canada on October 11, 2024. The closure would potentially impact the charging app and supporting software. ODI sent Enel X Way an Information Request (IR) letter on October 21, 2024. Enel X Way provided an incomp

Opened Oct 3, 2024 · closed Jun 5, 2025 · action PE24028 · the investigation’s page →

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021. On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject mat

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →

Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction Battery — Electric Vehicle Battery Fires closed

In October 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE) on 2017-2020 Model Year (MY) Chevrolet Bolt vehicles based on complaints received alleging that the vehicles caught fire under the seating area while parked and unattended. At the time, ODI had received 2 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) and several field reports. All complaints alleged vehicles caught fire during or after electrical charging. ODI's review found vehicle thermal events occurred during and/or at the end of the battery module charging cycle. The information learned from NHTSA and General Motors joint vehicle inspections prompted General Motors to file Recall 20V-701 on April 29, 2

Opened Oct 9, 2020 · closed Feb 7, 2022 · action PE20016 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific Bolt EV

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2018 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Chevrolet publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Chevrolet’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

Find parts for this Bolt EV →

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
89complaints filed

2 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported

90 per 10,000 built · Chevrolet reported 9,879 Bolt EV built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2018: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2021: 26 · 2022: 14 · 2023: 9 · 2024: 6 · 2025: 14 · 2026: 10

Most-cited components

Steering 38
Electrical System 30
Power Train 12
Fuel/Propulsion System 11
Unspecified 8
Service Brakes 7

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

GM is aware of a defect that may cause my vehicle to catch fire. They have advised me to park outside so in case it catches fire, the fire is less likely to injure or kill anyone. But, uh, I would like my vehicle to not catch fire actually
Electrical System Aug 9, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11428345
The remedy proposed by GM for the risk of catastrophic fire is inadequate. I live in an area with frequent hail storms and leaving the car outside at night would subject it to severe damage. More importantly, I live in a high-wildfire-risk area with almost daily high winds (30-50 mph) especially at night and morning.
Power Train Jul 31, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11427273
The safety of myself and my family and my house is put at risk from the second recall related to the battery. Also the range of the car during the recall is about half of what was the advertised range when I purchased the vehicle. Come winter, this may leave me stranded depending on the weather
Fuel/Propulsion System Jul 23, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11426182
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV. The contact stated that when the driver (his wife) drove at 45mph a vehicle failed to yield the right of way and made a left turn. The driver was unable to stop and crashed into the vehicle's front passenger side and bumper.
Air Bags at 22,000 miles Jul 22, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11425984
At 25,000 miles my brake pads are crumbling and the rotor are scored and pock marked .. I drive the car in l mode exclusively and I don't use the brakes. Ed shuts chevy cadillac says the brakes are warranted. I say there is a problem with the brake system. They should not wear out or crumble if I don't use them on a 2 year old car
Service Brakes at 25,000 miles Apr 16, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11408497
The drivers window has vertical scratches on the outside of the glass. My car is one week past the 36 month warranty and ed shults chevy won't fix it under warranty
Visibility/Wiper at 25,000 miles Apr 16, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11408498

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Chevrolet itself: 6 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 7 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 61 per 100,000 built. Every Bolt EV model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 18k

miles, typically

Half the 17 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 7,000 and 25,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

Too few readings for a curve — the 17 on file: 5 under 10k, 5 10k–20k, 4 20k–30k, 1 30k–40k, 1 40k–50k, 1 60k–70k.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
5 HB FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★★10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Extended coverage on file 1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every GM warranty extension (33) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 819
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-26
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 812 service bulletins, 5 service campaigns, 1 warranty extension

Most often about: Equipment, Electrical System, Engine, Unknown Or Other, Power Train.

  • PIT5698F Service bulletin
    2026-09-26 · Unknown Or Other
  • This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
  • PIP4902W Service bulletin
    2026-09-04 · Unknown Or Other
  • This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
  • PIT5099J Service bulletin
    2026-07-21 · Unknown Or Other
  • PI to help diagnose A/C concern
  • PIT3271Q Service bulletin
    2026-04-01 · Unknown Or Other
  • This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
  • PIP6104 Service bulletin
    2026-03-09 · Unknown Or Other
  • This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
  • PIP4902V Service bulletin
    2026-03-09 · Unknown Or Other
  • This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
  • N252541510 Service campaign
    2026-03-03 · Unknown Or Other
  • Certain vehicles may have been sold with a GM NACS Level 2 EV charging adapter (NACS to J1772) in which a quality issue was identified. Dealers are to provide the customer with the latest design charging adapter.
  • PIP4902U Service bulletin
    2026-01-08 · Unknown Or Other
  • This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

CodeWhat it meansMost often filed underWhere it appears
P0BBD
P0BBD on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →11 bulletins
B3055
B3055 on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →9 bulletins
B3060
B3060 on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →9 bulletins
B3935
B3935 on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →9 bulletins
P0300
P0300 on Chevrolet →		Misfire detected, but not isolated to one cylinder.Engine · Ignition coils →7 bulletins
P0308
P0308 on Chevrolet →		Cylinder 8 is misfiring.Engine · Ignition coils →7 bulletins
P050D
P050D on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Engine7 bulletins
B1008
B1008 on Chevrolet →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Lane Departure3 bulletins
P0442
P0442 on Chevrolet →		A small leak in the evaporative emissions system.Electrical System · Gas cap →2 bulletins
P0455
P0455 on Chevrolet →		A large leak in the evaporative emissions system — often a fuel cap left off.Electrical System · Gas cap →2 bulletins
P0ABBManufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →2 bulletins
P0ABCManufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Compare the 2018 Bolt EV with

Any vehicle, your weights →
Head-to-headVerdict
2018 Toyota Prius c · Compact Hatchback · grade BBolt EV +10.1

Bolt EV by model year

all years, side by side →
Year Safety Recalls Complaints
2023 C 3 61 259 mi2022 F 7 59 Park outside2021 F 5 67 Park outside2020 F 8 175 Park outside2019 F 6 178 Park outside2018 this page F 5 89 Park outside2017 F 4 349 Park outside

Common questions about the 2018 Bolt EV

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 5 recall campaigns for the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 3 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 22V930000, covering Structure. 2 of them were filed with no repair available at the time — NHTSA's file records what the manufacturer had in hand on the filing date, not what exists today. There is an active park outside advisory — act on it before driving. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV?

NHTSA gave the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 5-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it F (52/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV?

For the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV, the longest EPA range is 238 miles on a charge. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV?

Owners have filed 89 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV, most often about steering, electrical system, power train. Of those, 2 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 2 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV is 10 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California ZEV, Federal Tier 3 Bin 0 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV?

The manufacturer has filed 819 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV, most often covering equipment, electrical system, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-09-26. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

Is the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV better than the 2018 Toyota Prius c?

The Chevrolet Bolt EV wins clearly, 78.6 to 68.5, on fuel & range, performance. The Toyota Prius c is ahead on safety. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV against the 2018 Toyota Prius c — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations1 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates1 configurationsEPA emission certificatesSmog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls5NHTSA recall campaignsA complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints89NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings1 testedNHTSA NCAPOnly the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins819NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations3NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationOpen and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA8 fieldsNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWhat the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Trims, pricing & equipmentnoneManufacturer press kitWe have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Where to go next

pages beside this one
Head to head 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV vs 2018 Toyota Prius c Scored on price, fuel, safety, space, performance and warranty — the weights are yours.Other years The 2023 Bolt EV The Bolt EV model year with the cleanest record on file — grade C, 3 recalls.Recalls Every Chevrolet recall on file All campaigns filed against Chevrolet vehicles, newest first, with the manufacturer's own number.Recall Watch Watch this Bolt EV by VIN Give it the VIN and you hear the night a campaign is filed — from $29 a month for a lot, free for ten.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

JSON for this page · API