For the second time in nine months, General Motors is warning owners of its electric Chevy Bolt that their car could be at risk of catching fire.
The company on Friday warned owners of 2017-2019 models to keep their vehicle charges no higher than 90% and to park the cars outside after charging them. The issue is tied to manufacturing defects in a battery cell.
Owners are also being asked to charge their vehicle after each use and avoid depleting the battery below 70 miles of remaining range.
General Motors ordered the recall after two Bolts recently caught fire without any sort of impact. One of fires occurred despite the owner having corrections made in the last recall.
This action comes after a recall for the same cars last November. Battery issues were to blame in that action as well, and followed five fires that resulted in two injuries from smoke inhalation. A limited number were recalled last year. The company is recalling all 2017-2019 models with Friday’s action.
“As part of GM’s commitment to safety, experts from GM and LG have identified the simultaneous presence of two rare manufacturing defects in the same battery cell as the root cause of battery fires in certain Chevrolet Bolt EVs,” said GM spokesman Dan Flores in a statement. “As part of this recall, GM will replace defective battery modules in the recall population. We will notify customers when replacement parts are ready.”
Owners can learn more at GM’s recall website and are encouraged to call their Chevy dealer to schedule a free repair.
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