Chevy Offers Bolt Owners $6,000 To Waive Right To Sue Over Battery Fires

After more than a year of bad news around battery fires, this summer Chevy slashed the price of the electric Bolt and Bolt EUV by as much as $6,000, making the Bolt the most affordable electric car on sale in America.

In an effort to appease customers who bought their Bolts before the discount, Chevy offered a cash rebate to existing Bolt owners. But as a tipster points out to Jalopnik, in order to receive the rebate, Bolt owners have to waive all rights to sue GM over the vehicle -- including their right to sue if their Bolt battery catches fire.

First, let’s get caught up on the whole battery fire saga. In late 2020, GM recalled 68,000 Bolts due to a risk of the batteries catching fire while parked. The fix involved a software update rolled out in April 2021.

Not one week later, an affected Bolt caught fire in Virginia, destroying the garage it was parked in.

More Bolt fires followed, even after a second recall, leading the NHTSA to issue a recommendation that Bolt owners park outside and avoid leaving their cars plugged in overnight.