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A Chevrolet Bolt battery lawsuit has been filed even though a consolidated class action lawsuit has already been granted preliminary approval by a judge.
According to the lawsuit, 2017-2022 Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles and 2022 Chevrolet Bolt electric utility vehicles cannot achieve the advertised driving range.
The plaintiffs complain the Bolt 60 kWh 350 V lithium-ion batteries cannot be charged as advertised and “may spontaneously burst into flames, causing serious harm to the vehicle and its owners, lessees and occupants.”
The class action lawsuit says General Motors cannot adequately repair the Bolts, leaving drivers faced with the dangers of battery fires. Fully charging a Bolt battery can cause it to overheat, something the lawsuit says puts limitations on electric vehicle owners.
“The defect causes the high voltage battery to overheat when charged to full or nearly full capacity, which can result in catastrophic and destructive fires, resulting in an unreasonable safety risk to the drivers and passengers of vehicles equipped with the Defective Battery.” — Chevy Bolt battery class action lawsuit
GM issued Chevrolet Bolt battery recalls in November 2020, July 2021 and August 2021, but the class action alleges the recalls failed.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had opened a Chevrolet Bolt battery fire investigation but closed the probe due to GM’s actions, including software updates, battery replacements and extended warranties.
But while those Bolt repairs were good enough for federal safety regulators, they were not for the plaintiffs who sued GM. Those customers claim GM’s actions “have failed to resolve the root cause of the battery defect and have forced plaintiffs to reduce their electric range by between 20% and 40%.”
Eight previous Chevrolet Bolt battery class actions were consolidated into one lawsuit titled, In re Chevrolet Bolt EV Battery Litigation.
After years in court, the judge granted preliminary approval to a Chevy Bolt battery settlement in 2024, but there were problems for customers who wanted to opt out of the settlement agreement.
With the Bolt class action settlement on hold, this newest massive 766-page battery class action has been filed.
The Chevy Bolt battery class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (Southern Division): Johnson, et al., v. General Motors LLC, et al.
The plaintiffs are represented by Heygood, Orr & Pearson.