What to do with an electric car whose battery failed

So check two things before spending money: whether the pack is still covered, and whether the title carries a salvage or total-loss brand.

First call: the maker, with the VIN

Battery warranties are set by each maker, and the terms change by model year. Call the dealer or the maker with the VIN and ask what's left on the high-voltage battery.

California's rules give one firm reference point. Under the CARB Advanced Clean Cars II regulation, makers of battery EVs and plug-in hybrids must warrant the battery against defects that drop its state of health below 70% for eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever is reached first. That covers the 2026 through 2030 model years; from 2031 the line moves to 75%.

Two details worth knowing:

• It follows the car. The warranty runs to the first buyer and to every later buyer, so a second or third owner holds it too.
• It's about health, not just total failure. For 2026 to 2030 models, a defect that drops the pack's health below 70% falls under that warranty.

Our sources don't settle which other states use these rules, or what other makers offer, so the maker's own answer is the one to rely on.

If it's a Chevrolet Bolt, check the recall

GM recalled the 2017 through 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and the 2022 Bolt EUV over battery fire risk. GM and LG traced the fires to two rare manufacturing defects showing up together in the same battery cell.

What the recall does depends on the car:

• Eligible 2020-2022 Bolt EV and EUV. GM installs diagnostic software that caps charging at 80% at first, then returns it to 100% after about 6,200 miles if no problem turns up.
• Cars not eligible for the software. The lithium-ion battery modules are replaced with new modules at GM's expense.

A Bolt that already got a new battery under the recall has its own coverage. Per GM's recall papers filed with NHTSA, the replacement battery carries an 8-year/100,000-mile GM Service Replacement Parts Limited Warranty that starts on the date and mileage it was installed, with courtesy transportation and roadside assistance for that term. A 2019 Bolt that got its pack in 2023 may have years left. Bring the repair paperwork to any sale, since it changes what the car is worth.

Crash, flood or fire: the title brand matters

Tesla, for one, treats a car with a salvage title, or one declared a total loss, as unsupported. Tesla spells this out in its unsupported vehicle policy:

• A Tesla is "unsupported" if its owner has registered or titled it as salvage, or if it was declared a total loss after extensive crash, flood, fire or similar damage.
• Once unsupported, any Tesla limited warranties and extended service agreements on it are void.
• Fast charging, Supercharging included, is permanently disabled.
• Tesla may do a High Voltage Safety Inspection to decide whether the car is safe, at the owner's expense. Outside China, service centers may also do a Fast Charging Safety Inspection.

So a Tesla's title status can matter as much as the battery fault itself. Other makers' policies aren't in our sources; ask before assuming a branded car keeps its coverage. The salvage title guide covers what the brand means when you sell.

Leave the pack where it is

Don't try to pull the battery or get rid of it yourself. The EPA says:

• someone with an electric vehicle battery should contact the maker, the dealer or the company that installed it for options, and keep it out of the trash and municipal recycling bins
• large lithium-ion systems like EV packs may not be removable by the owner, so the maker's instructions apply
• a damaged lithium-ion battery should be handled the way its maker directs, because even used batteries can hold enough energy to hurt someone or start a fire

Selling the car whole, with the pack in it, means you never have to pull the pack yourself.

When a damaged EV becomes salvage, state by state

If an accident, flood or fire caused the failure, your state's salvage rule decides whether the title gets branded, and for a Tesla, a salvage title is what triggers the unsupported status above. Here is where each state draws the line, from the statutes and agency pages in our sources.

Repair or sell?

Repair it when a warranty or recall pays, or when the car is new enough that a paid battery still leaves you ahead. A Bolt in the recall, or a 2026 or newer EV still inside 8 years or 100,000 miles, is worth a call to the maker before you sell.

Sell it when the coverage is gone and the battery quote is close to what the car would be worth running. Sell it, too, when the damage has already put a salvage brand on the title, since for a Tesla that ends warranty support and fast charging for good. The repair costs more than value guide shows how to weigh the numbers, and the wrecked car guide covers crash damage beyond the pack.

Selling it to us

We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You can sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Send the year, make, model and mileage, plus what failed, whether a recall or warranty was used, and what the title says.

Want to ask something first? Call (877) 421-6008.