Volkswagen has launched a recall of nearly 72,700 electric vehicles worldwide due to manufacturing defects in high-voltage battery cells, which could cause overheating and fires under certain conditions. The recall was reported on 20 October by Bild, citing the German regulator, the KBA. Until the vehicles have been inspected, owners are advised to limit the battery charge to 80%.
Briefly about the main points
- The Volkswagen campaign covers almost 72,700 electric vehicles worldwide.
- This included a number of ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID. Buzz and Cupra Born models.
- The cause has been attributed to manufacturing faults on the part of the battery cell suppliers.
- Whether a particular vehicle is part of the campaign will be determined by its VIN code.
- The service may carry out software updates, repairs or component replacements.
Which models are covered by the service campaign?
According to the German Federal Motor Transport Authority, the campaign comprises three recalls of vehicles with potentially defective high-voltage batteries. It concerns certain Volkswagen models ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID. Buzz and Cupra Born.
For models Volkswagen This applies to cars manufactured between 2022 and 2025; for the Cupra Born, between 2022 and 2024. This does not mean that all vehicles of these models and production years are affected: only specific production batches are covered by the recall.
The status of a specific electric vehicle is checked using its VIN. Volkswagen advises owners who do not have confirmation that their vehicle is included in the campaign to contact an authorised service centre.
A fault was detected in the components of the high-voltage batteries
During internal quality checks, Volkswagen found that some of the battery cells did not meet the manufacturer’s technical specifications. The company attributes this to errors made by suppliers during the manufacturing of the cells.
Under certain conditions, this discrepancy could cause the battery to overheat and, in exceptional cases, catch fire. Volkswagen describes this as a potential risk, rather than a confirmed fault in every vehicle from the recalled batches.
At the time the campaign was announced, KBA had no information regarding any injuries or material damage linked to this fault.
How will owners proceed, and what will the service do?
Owners will be sent letters containing instructions. In some cars, the battery management system will automatically set limits on the charge level; warning stickers have also been provided for drivers.
Once you have contacted the service centre, our specialists will assess the condition of the battery and determine the best way to resolve the issue. For some vehicles, a software update may be sufficient, whilst others may require repairs or the replacement of faulty components.
For campaigns 93MF і 93MV The Volkswagen website in Denmark states that the check takes about an hour. The work on cars covered by the programme will be carried out free of charge.
The new inspection is not linked to previous recalls
In March, Volkswagen and Cupra had already recalled more than 90,000 electric cars due to other problems with the battery modules. Around 28,000 cars from that campaign were in Germany.
At the end of September, the company also announced a recall of more than five million vehicles due to possible corrosion of a steering mechanism component. The current recall is a separate issue and relates specifically to the quality of the battery cells.
Owners of the models listed above can check the status of their vehicle at an authorised service centre using the VIN code.
