General Motors’ electric vehicle department has again been plagued by a problem with the battery system that could start a fire at the Chevrolet Bolt. The 2017-2023 model year Chevy Bolt was recalled due to a potential fire risk, but for a different reason.
In this case, the fire risk has nothing to do with the battery due to the fact that the Bolt is an electric vehicle. Surprisingly, the risk of burning actually comes from the seat belts and carpets in the Chevrolet Bolt.
Car manufacturers must recall around 140,000 units of the Chevrolet Bolt EV in North America, with 111,242 units located in the United States. However, the automaker estimates that only one percent of these vehicles actually suffer from the problem.
Models built between 26 July 2016 and 25 October 2022 feature seat belt pretensioners that help keep passengers in place in the event of a crash.
In certain scenarios, documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal, the exhaust from the installed pretensioners could ignite the fibers in the carpet closest to the B-pillars so that a fire could start in the area.
General Motors first became aware of this issue after feedback was submitted internally through the Speak Up For Safety program on September 15, 2022. The input follows a report on a 2018 Chevrolet Bolt which had an accident in Korea and suffered a fire, originating from the right-hand side lower B-pillar.
The automaker opened an investigation into the matter in October and, unfortunately, found three relevant field incidents where carpet fibers were ignited by exhaust from seat belt pretensioners. On December 8, 2022, it was decided to start the recall.
Therefore, contacting owners will begin on January 30, 2023. General Motors will require them to return the vehicle to the dealer, where a technician will place metal foil over the carpet near the exhaust pretensioner to prevent ignition of the carpet fibers.
Some vehicles may also need a cover pretensioner installed. Bolts made after October 25, 2022, had metal foil added at the factory to prevent this problem from occurring.
