Chevy is offering up to $6,000 Bolt rebates — with a big asterisk

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

If you bought a Bolt before Chevy made it cheaper, the company will reimburse you up to $6,000. Jalopnik points out that the company will never be sued for any issues with the car or its battery if they take the rebate.

It may be an uncomfortable agreement for some given that Bolt had to be recalled twice due to battery fires. Most people who were affected by the battery problems won't have to make a decision about taking the money or not.

Kevin Kelly said that the Bolt EV/EUV rebate is limited to customers who bought it in the year 2022. The rebate is only available to people who bought a new retail vehicle from a Chevy dealership. The replacement batteries should have been given to the cars before they were sold.

It would be understandable if Bolt owners were hesitant about taking the money because of the strong language in the agreement. Not only is the owner not allowed to file a lawsuit, neither are their heirs, agents, servants, beneficiaries, legal representatives, assigns, wards, or successors. Jalopnik was told by a lawyer that if a client had a Bolt, he would caution them against taking the deal.

The recalls are estimated to have cost around $2 billion and the battery supplier for Chevy has agreed to pay for it. It will be a PR disaster if new Bolts have the same issues. I don't envy new Bolt owners who have to decide if they want to take a large amount of change or not.