Case Status
On September 17, 2021, Keller Rohrback and co-counsel filed an Amended Consolidated Complaint on behalf of owners and lessees of 2017 – 2022 Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles. The complaint alleges that General Motors and battery supplier LG Chem failed to timely disclose or adequately remedy the problems caused by dangerously defective lithium-ion batteries.
Keller Rohrback continues to monitor news reports, announcements from GM and its suppliers, and official NHTSA press releases to determine the best course of action for consumers. If you own or lease a Chevy Bolt and have questions about the status of the recall or our litigation, please contact our office at cars@kellerrohrback.com or (800) 776-6044.
Keller Rohrback is pleased to announce it has been appointed Co-Lead Counsel representing owners and lessees of certain allegedly defective 2017 – 2019 Chevy Bolt vehicles. Judge Berg’s order of June 2, 2021 also appointed The Miller Law Firm, of Detroit, Michigan, as Co-Lead Counsel, and named several other respected law firms to serve as the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee.
Keller Rohrback’s team, led by partners Gretchen Freeman Cappio and Ryan McDevitt, is looking forward to working with the entire leadership committee to ensure General Motors is held responsible for the defective and dangerous batteries in tens of thousands of Chevy Bolts.
Case Overview
On December 11, 2020, Keller Rohrback and co-counsel filed suit against General Motors on behalf of consumers who own or lease certain Chevrolet Bolt vehicles. GM failed to disclose or repair a widespread defect in the 60 kWh 350 V lithium-ion batteries used in these electric vehicles that can cause the battery system to overheat when the battery is charged to full or nearly full capacity, putting the battery at risk of exploding or catching fire. GM is now urging Chevy Bolt owners and lessees not to charge their batteries past 90% and to avoid parking their vehicles in homes/garages in case of fire. GM has issued a recall that will not permanently repair the defect, but will merely limit the charging capacity and therefore the range of the vehicle.
To prevent their Bolt vehicles from charging past 90%, GM suggested that owners and lessees should enable either “Hilltop Reserve” in the 2017-2018 models or “Target Charge Level” in the 2019 models, as those modes will limit charging to 90%. While those modes will limit the charging and presumably prevent the vehicle from catching fire, doing so will reduce the EPA-rated 238 miles of range by about 25 miles.
Cars are an expensive investment and safety is of utmost concern. If you own or lease a 2017-2019 Chevy Bolt EV, Keller Rohrback wants to hear from you. Please contact us at (800) 776-6044, cars@kellerrohrback.com, or by using the secure form on this page.