Chevrolet Bolt EV recalled over potential fire risk

KUALA LUMPUR: Chevrolet’s parent company General Motors has recalled 140,000 Bolt EVs for a potential risk of fire. Unlike the previous recall concerning faulty battery packs that were at risk of catching fire, this time the reason is a bit odd or shall we say surprising.

The concerned Bolt EVs seatbelt pretensioners are to be blamed this time. As the exhausted gasses may evoke fire to the car’s carpet in the event of a crash. Though tagged as an extremely rare occurrence by the automaker, a fix will be applied to all affected vehicles.

How does Chevrolet plan to correct the issue? While the automaker will not be replacing the concerned seatbelt pretensioners, it will instead cover the floor carpet with foil to shield it from exhaust gasses.

Like the airbags, the seatbelt pretensioners have pyrotechnic components that at the time of crash detonate, making sure the occupants are firmly held in place.

Out of the total 140,000 affected Bolt EVs, 20,000 are in Canada and the remaining 120,000 are in the United States. The NHTSA website is yet to make an announcement, however, the news has already been made public in Canada. The affected customers have not yet been sent notifications or called to service center for getting the problem fixed.

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