How Reliable Is A Used Chevy Bolt? Here's What J.D. Power Says

The second-generation Chevrolet Bolt is expected to drop for the 2027 model year. This new generation is more of a refresh than a complete redesign, but there's at least one major difference. The first-gen Bolt had a seven-year production run, but General Motors has decided to give people 18 months to buy the new version before killing it again. With that in mind, it's probably a good idea for potential buyers to start researching the 2027 model now, so they're ready to go when the car hits dealerships. With the close connection between the two generations, that means we can start by looking at the reliability of the first.

Now, there is one very large caveat present. Nearly the entire run of the first-gen Bolts – about 110,000 vehicles – went through a series of battery-related recalls for fire risk, which eventually required replacement packs for all models. Beyond that major issue, there was another massive recall just months later for fire risks unrelated to the battery pack.

On the other hand, you could argue that those were essentially teething pains for the Bolt. If you judge its reliability more on J.D. Power's dependability rankings — where the model never dipped below an Average rating in the years it was tested — you can probably feel optimistic about the new generation. After all, Chevrolet itself was ranked third among mass-market brands in the 2026 Vehicle Dependability Study. Evidently, those recalls are far from the only factors affecting the Bolt's reliability.

From the Chevrolet Bolt's launch in 2017, it found itself with a Great rating of 82/100 for Quality and Reliability from J.D. Power. It also managed a Great rating of 87/100 for driving experience, likely thanks to its ability to travel 238 miles on electricity alone — at a time when the Nissan Leaf was limited to just 107 miles. Considering all of these traits, it makes sense that the '17 Bolt was chosen as J.D. Power's best small car of the year. And yes, that put it ahead of well-regarded rivals such as the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris. 

J.D. Power didn't provide a dependability rating for the Bolt in 2018. It still finished ahead of the Fit and Yaris in the overall small-car ranking for that model year, albeit with the Chevy now in 4th place. Its reliability went unrated again for 2021 and 2022, while its remaining years – 2019, 2020, and 2023 – all saw the car in the Average zone for dependability, with scores ranging from 72 to 77. On the other hand, the Bolt did recapture the top spot among all small cars in the overall rankings for that final year.

With both this and the aforementioned recalls in mind, we think the newest of the old Bolts (from 2023) are the best choice on the used car market. No doubt helping matters, these models also boast a larger battery pack and available fast-charging, neither of which could be found on pre-2020 Bolts. The 2023 version also retains Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, making it a potentially more compelling choice than the resurrected 2027 Bolt, which uses its own proprietary system.