Chevy Bolt, Blazer EV and Equinox EV lemon law in California: battery recalls, software problems and buybacks

Chevrolet's electric cars have had very different problems. The Bolt EV and Bolt EUV went through repeated battery fire recalls, and GM bought some of them back. The Blazer EV launched in 2023, and GM paused its sales weeks later over software problems. The Equinox EV has its own list of recalls. If your Chevy EV keeps going back to the dealer, the Chevy Bolt lemon law question applies to all three: California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act can require GM to repurchase or replace a vehicle it cannot fix within a reasonable number of attempts.

This guide goes deeper than our Chevrolet and GM lemon law guide, model by model. It is general information about California law as of October 2026, not legal advice, and it does not suggest that Chevrolet EVs in general are defective.

Chevy Bolt EV and EUV: the battery fire recalls

GM recalled the Bolt's high-voltage battery for fire risk more than once. The later recalls told owners whose cars had the first remedy to come back.

Until the remedy was done, NHTSA's records told owners to limit charging to 90 percent, avoid running the battery below about 70 miles of range, park outside after charging, and not charge indoors overnight. The records list a Bolt EV Concierge Team at 1-833-382-4389.

GM's Bolt buyback program

During the 2021 recalls, GM bought back some Bolts outside of court. CNN reported that GM decided buybacks "case-by-case," would not say how many it had done or how it chose, and also offered exchanges for another GM vehicle. GM's brochure, as CNN described it, valued a buyback at the full price paid, minus a small amount per mile driven, minus GM purchase incentives, minus the cost of removing customer modifications.

A voluntary program is not the same as the statute. Under Civil Code § 1793.2(d)(2), restitution generally covers the price paid, including taxes, registration and finance charges, plus incidental costs, minus a mileage offset only for miles driven before the first repair visit for the defect. If a manufacturer offers to buy back your car, compare the offer with the statutory formula before you sign, and read any release. Our guide to manufacturer buyback and cash-and-keep offers explains what to look for, and our buyback calculator runs the formula.

The Bolt class settlement

In May 2024, GM and LG agreed to a $150 million class settlement with Bolt owners in Altobelli v. General Motors, a Michigan case filed in 2020, CBS News reported. Owners who installed GM's special battery software could receive $1,400, and some former owners and lessees $700. A class settlement and a lemon law claim are different. Whether a settlement release affected an individual claim depends on its terms and what you did, so have a lawyer read your notice and any claim form you signed.

Most 2017–2022 Bolts are now past the 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage. A lemon law claim generally depends on a defect that arose under warranty, and deadlines may already be running; see our guide to EV battery and charging problems for how battery claims work.

Chevy Blazer EV: the 2023 stop-sale and recalls

In December 2023, weeks after deliveries began, GM halted Blazer EV sales. Engadget reported that Edmunds documented 23 issues in its test car, including an infotainment system that repeatedly crashed and displayed error messages, and that a reviewer was stranded when a car failed while charging. Chevrolet said "a limited number" of owners had "software quality issues," and a GM spokesperson said the problems were not safety related. GM resumed sales in March 2024, saying the touch-screen and fast-charging problems were "resolved with a software update," AP reported.

The stop-sale was not a recall. But a 2024 Blazer EV that will not charge, shuts down, or loses its screen is not delivering what you paid for, even if no one is at risk. The lemon law covers defects that substantially impair use or value, not only safety defects. Our guide to electrical and infotainment problems explains how software claims are built.

The Blazer EV also has these recalls in NHTSA's records:

• 25V-433 (2024–2025 Blazer EV, 40,233 vehicles): the rear parking brake wiring harness may be damaged or corroded, so the parking brake may engage unintentionally or fail to hold. Dealers inspect, reroute and tape the harness or replace it.
• 26V-031 (2024–2025 Blazer EV): vehicles that "may have been repaired incorrectly" under 25V-433. Dealers replace the chassis harness.
• 23V-869 (2024 Blazer, Blazer EV, Equinox and GMC Terrain): door strikers may fracture and a door may open unexpectedly. Dealers replace all four strikers.
• 24V-487 (2024 Blazer EV, 83 vehicles): the right front lower control arm may fracture.
• 24V-320 (2024 Blazer EV and other GM EVs, 10 vehicles): wires in the rear drive unit motor may touch and cause loss of drive power. Dealers replace the rear drive unit.

The parking brake campaign shows why every visit matters. A recall repair that was done wrong and had to be redone is two visits for the same defect, and both belong in your repair history.

Chevy Equinox EV: documented recalls

• 25V-012 (2025 Equinox EV AWD, 2,890 vehicles): incorrect brake module software means adaptive cruise control may not brake as expected. Dealers update the software.
• 25V-704 (2025–2026 Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq with 21-inch Continental tires): the tread may partly or fully detach. Dealers inspect the tires and replace those from the affected production week.
• 24V-737 (2025 Blazer, Blazer EV and Equinox EV): door strikers were not properly heat-treated and can break. Dealers replace all four.
• Pedestrian alert sound (24V-925, 25V-639, 25V-878): three separate campaigns covering 2024–2026 Equinox EVs whose low-speed pedestrian warning sound did not meet the federal standard. Remedies are body control module software updates, by a dealer or, for the later campaigns, over the air.

Three recalls for the same pedestrian-sound problem across model years is a pattern worth noting in your own records if your car received more than one of those updates. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How Chevy EV problems fit the lemon law

Civil Code § 1793.2(d) requires a manufacturer that cannot conform a new vehicle to its warranty after a reasonable number of attempts to replace it or make restitution, at the buyer's choice. Under the Tanner Act presumption in § 1793.22(b), within 18 months or 18,000 miles a reasonable number of attempts is presumed after two repairs of a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, four repairs of the same defect, or more than 30 total days out of service. The first two routes also require one direct notice to the manufacturer if the warranty materials clearly call for it; GM's 2025 EV warranty booklet gives a California notice address of P.O. Box 33170, Detroit, MI 48232-5170.

• Battery fire, loss of drive power, parking brake and braking faults are candidates for the two-attempt safety route.
• Charging failures and screen crashes usually go through the four-attempt or 30-day routes, or the general reasonable-attempts standard.
• Days without a usable car add up across visits, including waits for battery modules or parts.

Warranty, dispute program and the 2025 rules for GM

GM's 2025 Chevrolet EV warranty booklet lists bumper-to-bumper coverage of 3 years or 36,000 miles and propulsion battery coverage of 8 years or 100,000 miles, and describes repair or replacement if battery capacity falls below a stated threshold. Check the booklet for your model year.

A June 2025 Department of Consumer Affairs notice lists GM with BBB AUTO LINE as a state-certified program, which can matter if you want to rely on the 18-month presumption (Civil Code § 1793.22(c)). GM has also been reported among the manufacturers that opted in to California's 2025 lemon law procedures. For opted-in manufacturers, a lawsuit generally must be filed within one year after the warranty expires and no later than six years after delivery, and a buyer who wants civil penalties must first send a specific written notice (Code of Civil Procedure §§ 871.21, 871.24). Confirm the status on the Department of Consumer Affairs list, and read our guide to the 2025 lemon law changes before sending GM anything.

What to record for a Chevy EV claim

• Every repair order, including recall and software visits, showing your complaint, the recall number, the work done and dates in and out.
• Charging records: failed sessions, error messages, the charger used, and state of charge, with screenshots from the car or app.
• Recall letters, including interim instructions to limit charging or park outside.
• GM case numbers, with dates and names, and every letter or email from GM.
• Any buyback, exchange or settlement paperwork you were offered or signed.

A buyer who wins recovers attorney's fees and costs, and a court can add a civil penalty of up to two times actual damages for a willful violation (Civil Code § 1794).

How LaCour handles Chevy EV claims

LaCour Trial Lawyers handles California lemon law claims statewide, in English and Spanish, with trial counsel leading each case. When a claim succeeds, the manufacturer pays your attorney's fees and costs. Send us your repair orders and recall letters for a free, confidential review.

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information about California and federal law and about public records as of its date. It is not legal advice, and reading it or contacting us does not create an attorney–client relationship. Allegations in lawsuits are claims, not findings. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Attorney advertising.