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Home› Automobile Receipts› Chevrolet Bolt EV vs Tesla Model 3

Chevrolet Bolt EV VS Tesla Model 3

Chevrolet Bolt EV Tesla Model 3
Verdict BUY IT DROP IT
The Reality NHTSA's own recall database backs up the core claim: the 2023 Bolt EV has zero battery-fire recalls, unlike the 2017-2022 models that were recalled twice for exactly that. But the 2023 model year isn't recall-free -- it has 3 recalls, two of them for a *different* fire-adjacent defect: after a crash, the seat belt pretensioner's exhaust gas can ignite carpet fibers near the B-pillar (one of these recalls exists because an earlier repair under a prior recall number was done incorrectly). A third recall covers a missing perforation that can block the passenger air bag from deploying properly. NHTSA's complaint database shows 59 complaints filed against the 2023 Bolt EV -- a moderate number for a mass-market EV, not an outlier in either direction. A Reuters investigation (reported by Electrek) found Tesla's comparison methodology inflates the safety claim by roughly 3x — Tesla counts only crashes severe enough to deploy an airbag in its own data, then compares that to NHTSA/FHWA federal data that includes all crashes requiring a tow truck, a far lower severity threshold. Separately, NHTSA's own complaint database shows 420 real complaints filed against the 2023 Model 3 alone, dominated by Forward Collision Avoidance issues (131+ complaints combining several sub-categories) and Steering (52) — including multiple specific, dated reports of 'phantom braking' (the car braking hard for no obstacle) and at least two separate documented incidents of the vehicle running a red light while on Autopilot/FSD, one of which caused an accident. Tesla's Model 3 has also had 12 NHTSA recalls in 2023, 5 in 2024, 3 in 2025, and 1 so far in 2026 (most recently a seat-fastener issue, unrelated to Autopilot).
SHORT ANSWER

Chevrolet Bolt EV: GM's claim that the 2023 Bolt EV's battery-fire problem is fixed holds up -- NHTSA shows zero battery-fire recalls for this model year, though the car did get recalled for a separate, unrelated seat-belt-pretensioner fire risk and an air bag defect.

Tesla Model 3: Tesla's claim that Autopilot/FSD is 'up to 10x safer' than human drivers is disputed by an independent Reuters investigation, which found the comparison methodology inflates the figure roughly 3x — and NHTSA's own complaint database shows 420 real complaints on the 2023 Model 3 alone, dominated by phantom-braking and collision-avoidance issues.