General Motors (GM) is extending its recall for older Chevrolet Bolts over battery problems that could lead to electric fires.
The automaker is recalling some 69,000 Bolts worldwide, from the model years 2017, 2018, and part of the 2018 series. All of the batteries of the affected cars were made by LG Chem in South Korea.
In a statement, GM explained that the faulty batteries can have two rare manufacturing defects in the same cell at the same time. It also confirmed that there have been at least nine battery fire cases involving Chevrolet Bolt cars. The company has offered to replace any defective battery modules and possibly the entire battery pack on affected vehicles.
GM added that its previous recall in April did not fully fix the issue; the automaker had installed diagnostic software in the affected cars to detect battery anomalies. If one was found, GM offered to replace the faulty parts.
A spokesperson for the company explained that GM’s engineers are still working on how to reliably detect the battery defect and what the repairs will be.
The Associated Press reported that some 2019 Bolts and those from the 2020 and 2021 model years are not affected by the issue, as their batteries were made by LG in Holland, Michigan.
