Chevrolet EVs Recalled Over Seat Belt Fire Hazard

Nearly 140,000 Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles in the U.S. and Canada have been recalled due to a seat belt problem that is a fire hazard.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has marked this recall as urgent. The NHTSA urges owners of Chevrolet Bolt EVs to use its VIN lookup tool to check if the vehicle is part of the recall. If the vehicle is, owners are recommended to follow General Motors' safety instructions to park the vehicle securely. GM will notify owners by mail by Jan. 30 if their vehicle is part of the recall.

This recall covers Chevrolet Bolt hatchbacks from 2017 to 2023, excluding Bolt utility vehicles and Bolts that belong to GM's autonomous vehicle unit Cruise.

The issue with the Chevrolet Bolts is that there is a chance that a fire can start due to exhaust gases from the front seat belt pretensioners coming into contact with carpet fibers after a crash. There have been three reports of fires that may have been caused by the front seat belt pretensioners, which tighten and hold passengers in place during a crash.

GM dealers have been instructed to install a metal foil along the carpet near the pretensioner exhaust to prevent a fire from starting. Some vehicles may also have a pretensioner cover installed.