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Recall notice for Korean Bolt EV issued (stabilizer link noise)

37K views 48 replies 29 participants last post by  HuskieJohn 
#1 ·
A recall notice has been arriving in the mailboxes of the Korean Bolt EV owners this week. I'll provide a translation since it would provide little use to let you see the original Korean text.

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Customer Notice

Thank you very much for your care and love of GM Korea.

We send you this notice as required by the Korean Automotive Management Act.

"Your car may generate 'knocking(tick-tick)' sound from the stabilizer link while slowly cruising, passing over uneven surfaces, or turning the steering wheel, and therefore the following repair is provided free of charge."

1. Contents of the Repair

A. Name of the Car or Part: Bolt EV
B. Manufacturing Date: November 2, 2016 to July 15, 2018
C: Equipment or Part at Fault: Stabilizer Link
D: Cause of the Fault: Due to its insufficient lubricating performance, 'knocking(tick-tick)' sound may be generated from the stabilizer link while slowly cruising, passing over uneven surfaces, or turning the steering wheel.

2. How the Repair is Provided
A. Validity of the Repair: August 30, 2018 to August 29, 2020 (2 Years)
B. Method of the Repair: Replacement of the stabilizer link
C. Location Responsible for the Repair: Subset of the GM Korea Servicing Network (56 Total, Listed on the Back)
D. Cost of the Repair: Completely Free of Charge
E. Effect on the Car that Did Not Get Repaired: 'Knocking(tick-tick)' sound may be generated from the stabilizer link while slowly cruising, passing over uneven surfaces, or turning the steering wheel, causing discomfort while driving.

3. Further Information
A. The repair may take up to 40 minutes to complete, but you may have to wait longer if you visit a service center without reservation. Please make a reservation on your nearest Servicing Network beforehand.
B. GM Korea Customer Center: 080-3000-5000(Call for information on the service center, claims, and other inquiries)

* Notice to the Lease or Rental Companies *
If this customer notice is received by a lease or rental company, please notify the actual driver or have the complementary repair done on their behalf.
---

Quite a lot of Bolt EV drivers in Korea, including myself, have experienced the annoying tick-tick sound from the front suspension starting around the beginning of summer, this year and last. But when the issue was raised last year, there were only a few hundred owners at most, so it didn't get much attention.

However, this year was different - the car was the best-selling EV for two consecutive months, and now the total number of Bolts in the country is approximately five thousand. It looks like GM Korea got the message and now the recall has been initiated.

Given the fact that the range of date of the affected cars go all the way to November 2016, GM Korea is basically conceding that the issue affects all 2017 and 2018 Bolt EVs.
 
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#2 ·
Thanks for sharing. I have a suspicion our Bolt is suffering from the same issue. I’ve heard what sounds like a “clink” or “tink” when pulling out of the garage (there’s about a half inch drop off on the curb). Does it sound like that to you in your Bolt?

Initially thought it was due to the rear hatch as others have suggested. After lubricating that area liberally with silicone grease, nothing has changed.

Wondering if a similar recall / program makes its way stateside. If not I’ll probably bring it in anyway at some point.
 
#7 ·
Hi wesley - is there any chance that you have an official GM Korea recall number for this?

Many owners in the USA & Canada are having this issue too & it might be helpful for us to be able to talk to dealers about it.

Thanks for any help that you might be able to provide. h
 
#10 ·
I had this issue and it was so bad the dealer kept the car for 1 week while they tried to figure it out. They couldn't believe that all of the suspension was still torqued to spec. They ended up replacing the whole steering column and a few other parts and that finally resolved it. I know if was this issue. it started at 15k miles and was finally replaced at 22k miles after several visits to the dealer to complain. All work done under warranty. The worst part is i can hear it starting to happen again. If it gets worse I will bring it in before the 36k mile warranty is up.


thanks for sharing!
 
#11 ·
I received my 2017 bolt oct.28/17. In around March the clicking started. Took the car to the dealer and they changed the left front sway bar link. It’s was ok for awhile but the clicking is back again!
It makes the noise at low speeds less than 5km/h and can feel it clearly while in stop and go traffic, on and off throttle in L mode. I have under 13k km
 
#15 ·
Don't disregard the rear hatch as a noise generating point. If you are having irritating noises, have a passenger check around inside the car to localize it while you drive over your favorite bumps. Flooding the inside of the plastic hatch lining definitely eliminated the irritating squeak of plastic in contact with the metal hatch. I'm sure there are multiple sources of noise in the Bolt, and as we share experiences we can help dealers locate these points and fix them.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Although this is not the same as a recall, there is a North American Technical Service Bulletin listed in the 2018 Service Manual that applies to the 2017/18 Bolt ->
#18-NA-198 - Creaking Type Noise Heard from Front End While Turning and/or Driving Over Uneven Pavement (11 June 2018)

Found it in this list -> https://www.repairprocedures.com/ser...100306748.html
 
#21 ·
I had the ticking/popping noise on my Bolt. The dealer diagnosed a bad stabilizer link, ordered the part, then installed the part about a week after the diagnosis. That seemed to cure the problem for a few weeks, but I am starting to hear the noise again, starting subtly as it did originally, but it is there.

I have noticed the ticking/popping is worse when the weather is hot, and we've had a run of 80 degree F days here in Ohio, which is rare for October.
 
#24 ·
Can someone tell me something about this 'link'


When they fix this, would it possibly screw up the alignment ?


So hear me out. ... The alignment does not seem off, but on the Highway at about 75-84 MPH I feel and HEAR the noise it makes when it IS out of alignment. Not a huge feel but enough. I mainly Hear it.


Did they do something wrong ? I did NOT have this noise before they fixed it.
 
#25 ·
On my bolt the noise seems to be coming from the strut assembly. It has progressively gotten worse and it is more of a creaking noise. I shined a light while parked at my stabilizer bar while rocking the car a little and the noise was noticibly coming from the wheel wells. Then I shot some white lithium grease on the coil spring of the struts and went for a drive. The sound seems to get a little worse when I did that. There is a youtube video shows a ford with a bad strut with the same type of sounds my bolt is making.
 
#26 ·
Sound Identified!

So today I got lucky.. The noise was very loud when turning the steering wheel back and forth so I took advantage of the moment. I have identified the noise as the stabilizer bar LINK, not the mounts but the link with a ball joint on each end. Look at the picture for reference. When I reached my hand into this area and squeezed the lower ball joint on this link, the sound went completely away, when I let go it came right back (I could also feel the vibration from the internal rubbing at this location). The upper joint also makes some slight noise which explains why I thought it was coming from the strut at first. I spoke to the dealer and have an appointment next week for repair. After confirming the issue with them, if they need time to get part in stock, I will inject some high temp bearing grease into the coupling with my grease needle to see if this makes it go away prior to full replacement.

I also added a video on youtube of the sound, hopefully it helps someone...
youtu.be/9giUOZ2xdUM
 

Attachments

#47 ·
Sound Identified! So today I got lucky.. The noise was very loud when turning the steering wheel back and forth so I took advantage of the moment. I have identified the noise as the stabilizer bar LINK, not the mounts but the link with a ball joint on each end. Look at the picture for reference. When I reached my hand into this area and squeezed the lower ball joint on this link, the sound went completely away, when I let go it came right back (I could also feel the vibration from the internal rubbing at this location). The upper joint also makes some slight noise which explains why I thought it was coming from the strut at first. I spoke to the dealer and have an appointment next week for repair. After confirming the issue with them, if they need time to get part in stock, I will inject some high temp bearing grease into the coupling with my grease needle to see if this makes it go away prior to full replacement. I also added a video on youtube of the sound, hopefully it helps someone... youtu.be/9giUOZ2xdUM
Hey elon-who!?, could I trouble you to reactivate that youtube video you made of the sound / problem? I think I have the same issue and would like to confirm via your video. Thanks buddy.
 
#30 ·
Interesting thread. They replaced my sway bar, but it still made noise in hot weather. When it's cold, I hear nothing.

NOW, they replaced the sway bar and my car is aligned as it's goes dam straight on the highway, BUT the steering wheel is crooked when centered.

They says it's not required they align the car after replacing the sway bar. This makes me think they want to bill me for the alignment. Which is totally unacceptable.

It's hard to see the grease fitting from the pictures. Am I blind?



Thanks! I am happy to help! I had originally posted all of this information in this thread https://www.chevybolt.org/forum/178...lems/30253-creaking-clunking-low-speed-3.html but I will copy over the most important bits..

UPDATE 1 - I injected all of the ball joints on the stabilizer links on both sides with JT6 Mystik High Temp Bearing Grease. The creaking sound in my video is completely gone. The only thing I hear now is a small bit of knocking that sounds like play in the stabilizer link possibly. I have only driven it around the block, so I need to put some more miles on it to see what the longer term effects are of this grease. I will report back after a day or so of driving around.

UPDATE 2 - After 100 more miles of driving, the slight knocking sound disappeared as well. I dont know if this is luck or not, but I am going to keep listening and will report back if anything returns. But as of now, injecting this grease has seemed to completely solve the sounds coming from my car.

The picture shows the grease needle and grease type I used to fix this issue. I already had these items for other maintenance that I do, but if you dont have them, it is typically easy to find someone that has this stuff and any NGLI 2 grease would probably work. The key is to get the grease injector needle which is about $7 on Amazon.
 
#28 ·
Thank you for the detective work, @elon-who!? I don't have that sound, thankfully, but am glad I now have something to watch for and likely diagnosis thanks to your writeup!
 
#29 ·
Thanks! I am happy to help! I had originally posted all of this information in this thread https://www.chevybolt.org/forum/178...lems/30253-creaking-clunking-low-speed-3.html but I will copy over the most important bits..

UPDATE 1 - I injected all of the ball joints on the stabilizer links on both sides with JT6 Mystik High Temp Bearing Grease. The creaking sound in my video is completely gone. The only thing I hear now is a small bit of knocking that sounds like play in the stabilizer link possibly. I have only driven it around the block, so I need to put some more miles on it to see what the longer term effects are of this grease. I will report back after a day or so of driving around.

UPDATE 2 - After 100 more miles of driving, the slight knocking sound disappeared as well. I dont know if this is luck or not, but I am going to keep listening and will report back if anything returns. But as of now, injecting this grease has seemed to completely solve the sounds coming from my car.

The picture shows the grease needle and grease type I used to fix this issue. I already had these items for other maintenance that I do, but if you dont have them, it is typically easy to find someone that has this stuff and any NGLI 2 grease would probably work. The key is to get the grease injector needle which is about $7 on Amazon.
 

Attachments

#44 ·
Thanks! I am happy to help! I had originally posted all of this information in this thread Creaking/Clunking at Low Speed but I will copy over the most important bits..

UPDATE 1 - I injected all of the ball joints on the stabilizer links on both sides with JT6 Mystik High Temp Bearing Grease. The creaking sound in my video is completely gone. The only thing I hear now is a small bit of knocking that sounds like play in the stabilizer link possibly. I have only driven it around the block, so I need to put some more miles on it to see what the longer term effects are of this grease. I will report back after a day or so of driving around.

UPDATE 2 - After 100 more miles of driving, the slight knocking sound disappeared as well. I dont know if this is luck or not, but I am going to keep listening and will report back if anything returns. But as of now, injecting this grease has seemed to completely solve the sounds coming from my car.

The picture shows the grease needle and grease type I used to fix this issue. I already had these items for other maintenance that I do, but if you dont have them, it is typically easy to find someone that has this stuff and any NGLI 2 grease would probably work. The key is to get the grease injector needle which is about $7 on Amazon.
thanks for the info. I have the clicking sound in my 2017 Bolt but haven’t yet replaced the stabilizer links. (I’m a decent diy guy around the house but have little experience with car repair.)

is this issue purely an annoyance, or is it something that could break down or cause larger problems over time? (The clicking sound has been happening more frequently during the last six months or so)
 
#32 ·
I haven't been driving my Bolt since the weather went south here, when I was driving it my car developed a noise in the drivers side suspension.


Looking at this thread I may have a look at the sway link.


I don't get my noise when I hold pressure on suspension, its only there when the suspension is centered, as soon as you load it my noise is gone.


I should be able to check the link with a pry bar it should not have any movement in it.


I was thinking it was a top shock mount before I saw this thread, its in a buried area I wasn't looking forward to digging for it.


Thanks for the tip and the pic of the link.
 
#36 ·
I want to update this a bit.
While the Links they replaced, I now have the Sway bar being done -after fighting with the idiots at the dealer ?? I think this was part of what I was hearing.
They are also doing the dash too since it is falling a bit lower as well.

Did someone post an image of the dash taken out? I can't find it anywhere.
@elon-who!? Did that grease work out for you? It has been about a year and I was curious. I don't know what state you live in and was curious about weather temps and your fix.
 
#37 ·
To fix creaking noises after 40K k, maybe due to warmer summer weather, in September my GM dealer replaced the left front strut assembly and transferred spring; however, they then noticed clunking noises, and replaced both front sway bar links, which removed the noises. This whole operation also required them to access a bolt which happened to be under the windshield wiper motor assembly, which they had to crowbar out and damaged (along with the windshield), so they replaced the windshield and the wiper motor assembly (which had been recalled last year and replaced). dealer service rep comments included: "creaking noise likely from the ball bearings of the strut assembly but not a safety issue; dealer has little experience with this model (Bolt 17) and therefore they have much to learn." GM provides no training or reference material? Zero cost to me, but not sure if this is due to my 48/120k Protection Plan ($100 deductible not applied in this case) or manufacturing defects. Courtesy rental was not ZEV. Upon further prodding, the dealer did concede that the noise if not fixed may have resulted in an ongoing safety issue, and that is why they repaired it (presumably under the Protection Plan).
 
#38 ·
Zero cost to me, but not sure if this is due to my 48/120k Protection Plan ($100 deductible not applied in this case) or manufacturing defects. Courtesy rental was not ZEV. Upon further prodding, the dealer did concede that the noise if not fixed may have resulted in an ongoing safety issue, and that is why they repaired it (presumably under the Protection Plan).
What did you pay for the extended warranty?
 
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