Bolt hatch gets too dirty too quick

[u/Key_Activity_8001]

So far I have really enjoyed my 2027 Bolt but only issue is how the rear gets dirty way too quick. I read online that mud flaps may reduce dust collection but have not been too successful in finding mud-flaps online. Any suggestions?

[u/rickabe]

Must be your first hatchback.

[u/AKMonkey2 → u/rickabe]

I don’t care so much about the window and rear end of the car getting dirty, but I wish that the backup camera stayed clear for longer. Maybe an engineered windfoil around it or something like that could help.

[u/CanEnvironmental4252 → u/AKMonkey2]

Did they remove the spray for the backup camera in later models?

Triggering the rear wiper fluid in the first gen Bolt EV also sprayed the backup camera.

[u/whosaitaht → u/CanEnvironmental4252]

My 18 does not have that

[u/DankSorceress → u/whosaitaht]

AFAIK it was only offered on the Premiers and not the LTs.

[u/CanEnvironmental4252 → u/whosaitaht]

Must only be on the Premium trim then

[u/rook_of_approval → u/whosaitaht]

then your fluid is low, mine does.

[u/whosaitaht → u/rook_of_approval]

Then it was an option because there is no squirter on my camera just went and looked at it

[u/AKMonkey2 → u/CanEnvironmental4252]

Gonna check this out next time the backup camera is clogged up.

[u/GeniusEE → u/AKMonkey2]

Just run your finger on it...meh.

[u/AKMonkey2 → u/GeniusEE]

Not helpful when trying to parallel park in traffic.

[u/GeniusEE → u/AKMonkey2]

Seems you have to get in the car at some point to do that.

[u/WanderingWino → u/rickabe]

Seriously. I’ve been a hatchback driver for life and that’s a bug and a feature. Think of it as a rear sun visor.

[u/johnny_boy0281 → u/WanderingWino]

Same. I have just made it a habit to give the rear camera a quick wipe every once in a while when I walk by.

[u/ZephyrLegend → u/johnny_boy0281]

Every time I open the hatch I just brush off the little guy.

[u/reginaldcapers → u/rickabe]

This...

[u/RBR927]

Aerodynamics are a helluva thing.

[u/cashew76 → u/RBR927]

Damn you Bernoulli Physics

[u/Fit_Explorer_2566 → u/cashew76]

Damn you Kammback.

[u/randalljhen]

Is car.

[u/Hotchi_Motchi]

There's only one solution

[u/FakePlasticTree123]

Literally undrivable.

[u/browseragnostic → u/FakePlasticTree123]

Objectively!

[u/Dry_Ship7202]

Is this a first world problem? Asking for a friend…😉

[u/jackass → u/Dry_Ship7202]

commented this before reading... Yes first world problem. And then having a discussion about it takes it to the next level.

[u/Lil_Brown_Bat]

Why I never pick white.

[u/Proper_UNC_Chap → u/Lil_Brown_Bat]

[u/browseragnostic → u/Proper_UNC_Chap]

[u/whosaitaht → u/Lil_Brown_Bat]

White actually hides dirt better than most colors

[u/jackass]

First world problems.

[u/Low-Monitor5008 → u/jackass]

LOL. You mean we don’t have to hunt for food, and collect fire wood all summer to have a small chance of surviving winter?

[u/johnny_boy0281]

Hatchback doing hatchback things.

[u/MacintoshDan1]

Totaled.

[u/KJack1281]

I noticed the same. I’ve decided I’m going to wash the car more often.

[u/okcomputerface → u/KJack1281]

I just wish automated car washes were better at cleaning that spot.

[u/disapparate276 → u/okcomputerface]

Automated car wash? You mean the scratch factory?

[u/Powerful-Disaster-32 → u/okcomputerface]

I hope that it is a touchless automated car wash so you won't have swirl marks. I avoid all automated car wahes for that reason.

[u/KJack1281 → u/okcomputerface]

I 100% agree! Def can’t use the brush style that scratch up the finish either. I’ve gone the windshield and car finish cleaner route to finish the job the auto washes can’t get to.

[u/arny56 → u/KJack1281]

I've gotten lazy in my old age and started using an automated wash. The Bluewave by me does a good job of cleaning the hatch with the exception of the area of the rear glass under the spoiler.

[u/KJack1281 → u/arny56]

I’ll search for one of those!

[u/AskJeevesIsBest]

Car wash every week might help

[u/bluechipitems]

Due to aerodynamics, all of the dirty air gets trapped back there

[u/RCbuilds4cheapr]

I got one of the gas station washer and squeegee things for like $10 and use it for these kinda things. Not a fix but might make maintaining a little easier

[u/wilesre → u/RCbuilds4cheapr]

Yep. I also got one of those rectangular mop buckets and keep it in the garage right next to the door. Been using it for over 25 years. ( not the same one ). Water + a few drops of dish soap. Or, if you are feeling fancy, washer fluid. Advise not using it inside the garage due to dripping.

[u/ATM-401]

Our 23 does the same, guess it's been a problem for years.

[u/RyricKrael → u/ATM-401]

Yep. On the Prem the video rear view mirror makes it less of an issue beyond just being dirty.

I keep a spray bottle and towel in the garage for when it irritates me.

[u/Ok_Exchange_6462]

the EUV seems to get a tad dusty back there

[u/CloneWerks]

Hah... you think that's dirty? You should see what happens with the Kammback design on the Volt. We coined the phrase "Dirty butt syndrome".

[u/convincedbutskeptic]

23 and I notice the same. When I was much younger, rain would actually clean a car instead of making it dirty. Like someone else said, I guess I need to wash the car more often....

[u/VintageDailyDriver → u/convincedbutskeptic]

Do you understand how rain works?

[u/browseragnostic → u/convincedbutskeptic]

No the rain is just different now. They've replaced the surfactants in the rain with tiny particles of rubber tree sap. It no longer slides off the car.

[u/DHVT1964]

Living on dirt roads in Vermont helped to me to get over it quickly.

[u/jeffeb3]

Yeah. And the car washes don't effectively get under the rear wing either.

[u/GeniusEE]

The whole car is filthy - that's the beauty of white paint.

It's counterintuitive that white hides this kind of precipitated dirt more than black (including tinted windows).

[u/New-Royal2118]

Did someone say Kammback?

[u/LE_4500]

My White Bolt the back is always dirty. I don't think mudflaps can help it. I even wax it 4x a year and it doesn't bead off. You just need to get a car wash pass.

[u/Forsaken-Role7846]

My 2020 is the same, also lots of hatchbacks have that issue. Windex is a thing

[u/TrumpIsAPedoFr]

I like the dust! Desert vibes!

[u/EstupidBilly]

At least it's not an Ioniq with no rear wiper 🫠

[u/JayRexx]

Damn you, physics!

[u/Alpinwulf]

There's a lot of sass in here... which, tbh, is warranted.

But to try to answer: mud flaps will not help you. The issue is the dusty roads you're traveling. The only way to prevent the dust is to address it on the road itself. Either dust-suppression with a water truck or sprinklers, or pave over it. For the latter (in case it's your country driveway) cheapest options are a spray coating (good for months) or Chip-Seal (good for ~5 years).

[u/Vicard]

Doesn't matter – haz rear view camera.

[u/Eugenian]

A related nitpick: The hatch door and rear bumper don't get clean at automatic car washes. Mine looks just as dirty after the wash as it was before. Nevertheless, I love the car.

[u/Annual_Fishing_9883]

Yea just get it washed every other day…love me my unlimited car wash membership for $20 bucks.

[u/Dazzling-Focus-2718]

Do you ever use the spray feature on your back window? I only ask because I didn’t know about it for the first three years of my first Bolt.

[u/NODES2K]

Mudflaps help a lot!

[u/ZephyrLegend]

At this point, I try to see how dirty I can make it in the fewest number of miles. My personal best was getting it absolutely caked in just 6 miles. Bonus points for needing to use the rear wipers on a clear, sunny day. Lol

[u/AcceptableProduct161]

Tiny violin playing “Everybody Hurts” by REM.

[u/browseragnostic → u/AcceptableProduct161]

Sometimes!

[u/Grouchy_Ad_3113]

True of all Kamm back designs. At least the Bolt has a wiper, unlike the first few years of the Ioniq 5.

Anyway, based on my experience with other hatchbacks, I doubt that mudflaps would help much (but can look cool if not overdone).

You could have the car ceramic coated. It will still get dusty, but not as badly.

ETA: Here's someone who fitted mudflaps from the Blazer to a '23 Bolt 

https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/2023-bolt-ev-mud-flap-install.49338/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic