Fit and Finish

Does this look right?

The gap between front door and dashboard looks nice and small on the passenger side, and measures 1/8 inch.
On the driver side, the same door/dashboard gap looks much wider and measures 3/8 inch.

If this were a Tesla, I'd figure that's about the best they can do. But is this degree of inconsistency normal in a Chevy? Do you see similar inconsistencies in fit and finish in your Bolt?
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OMG I'm so glad you posted that. Just picked up my Bolt and it's exactly the same way. I went to drive home and freaked out. I guess it's normal?

I can live with it if it's normal but I'm worried about the rear hatch alignment. On the drivers side, the hatch and body panel aren't flush but on the right they are so it's not like you can shift the hatch left to fill the gap. When you lower it it shifts slightly right as it contacts the striker.

jmatero said:

I can live with it if it's normal but I'm worried about the rear hatch alignment.

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I feel the same way. It's not like it's a giant eyesore, I did not even notice it until I'd had the car for over a month. So long as it does not indicate a structural problem or something installed incorrectly, it doesn't bother me.

I looked at my rear hatch, and I see only a very slightly larger gap on the driver side than on the passenger side, and smaller than what's in your pic. I think my alignment is pretty even, and the hatch closes straight and solid for me. So, maybe you'd want to get that one checked out and adjusted.

What's odd is that the Bolt pics from Chevrolet show a much bigger gap on the driver's side, while the Ampera photos from Opel show a tight gap on both sides. Photoshopped for European market?
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Damn! Now I can't unsee this when I drive.

Not like I would have a clue, but I would guess that fit and finish costs money and time. And the journalists say Bolt had a tight schedule for both. A typical new vehicle development program runs anywhere from 4 years on the short end to 6 years on the long end. I understand the Bolt came together in 2 years.

So the various fit and finish and behavioral eccentricities you're going to find in the Bolt kind of come with the territory. They delivered a lot for the money in a very compressed time. An old software adage (my field) goes like this: "You can have it on time, or you can have it on budget, or you can have high quality. Pick any two." So with the Bolt, you actually got a lot: speed of development, on budget, and on range target. You didn't get "class above interior and exterior". But I'd say 3 of 4 is an impressive job.

Looking at it a different way, the 2,200 Bolt owners are basically performing GM's remaining 2 years of test and development. Which I'd guess most are comfortable with. In 2017, and probably through 2020 or so, an EV buyer is still a leading adopter. And leading adopters kind of have to look the other way now and then.

ScooterCT said:

Looking at it a different way, the 2,200 Bolt owners are basically performing GM's remaining 2 years of test and development. Which I'd guess most are comfortable with. In 2017, and probably through 2020 or so, an EV buyer is still a leading adopter. And leading adopters kind of have to look the other way now and then.

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+1

I actually think this is true of many new models but it is even more so for an entirely new line like the Bolt-EV. Still, it's amazing that we are only seeing a few bugs like the inconsistent seats and some of the infotainment issues.

Do items like the panel gaps get better / tighter during the production run or will all of MY2017 have this type of variation?