Volkswagen prepares recall of electric cars over faulty battery cells, fire risk
Several thousand EVs in Germany are affected, VW said. Until they are checked, the cars can only be charged to 80%.
Symbolic image · Photo: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Volkswagen is preparing a recall of electric cars in Germany over faulty high-voltage battery cells, with several thousand vehicles affected, a company spokesperson said. Internal quality checks found that some cells did not meet requirements, which the spokesperson blamed on manufacturing defects at suppliers during a limited production period. According to the business daily Handelsblatt, the recall covers ID.3, ID.4, ID.7 and ID. Buzz models built between 2023 and 2025, as well as the Cupra Born.
VW said the defect can in rare cases increase thermal stress on the battery and in extreme cases could cause a fire. As an immediate measure, the carmaker is limiting charging to a maximum of 80%, and some cars will be brought into workshops for battery checks. Owners of affected vehicles will receive a letter; it is not yet clear whether a software update will suffice or modules must be replaced.
Recalls are already underway in Britain and the United States, where authorities say more than 22,000 ID.4 vehicles are affected. Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority had not yet listed the action. In late September, VW recalled about 5 million vehicles worldwide, including about 1.4 million in Germany, over a steering bolt prone to corrosion.