Chevy Recalls 111,000 Bolt EVs Over Fire Risks
Seat belt pretensioners could potentially light carpets on fire.
When a car decelerates in a hurry, as is the case in a crash, seat belt pretensioners use small explosive charges to remove the belt's slack and keep an occupant against the seat, which lets the front airbags do their job to the best of their ability. It's this component that lies at the center of a new GM recall.
Chevrolet has issued a recall for approximately 111,000 Chevrolet Bolt EVs in the the 2017-2023 model years. This only concerns the Bolt EV, and not its larger sibling, the Bolt EUV. Build dates of the affected vehicles range from July 26, 2016, to Oct. 25, 2022.
Here's what could go wrong. In the event of a crash, the seat belt pretensioners will deploy. Those explosive charges generate hot exhaust gases, which in this case are vented away from the pretensioner. In the Bolt EV, this exhaust may be hot enough to ignite the nearby carpet, which could cause a fire to start around the B-pillar.
GM discovered the issue in September, after receiving a report of a Korean-market Bolt EV that reportedly had a fire in the B-pillar area. After finding a total of three "potentially relevant field incidents," as noted in the report filed with NHTSA, the automaker decided to conduct a voluntary recall.
The remedy isn't too involved. Dealerships will install metal foil between the pretensioner exhaust and the carpet, which will prevent the carpet from igniting. Some models may also have a thermal cover installed around the pretensioner, further shoring up protections against the potential for fires. Dealers will be notified this month, and owners should receive first-class mail about it in late January.
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