Battery could catch fire: VW is reducing the charging capacity of certain electric cars as a precautionary measure

The quality problems continue for VW. After the million-dollar recall because of a screw, some electric cars now have to go to the workshop. The group wants to inform the affected customers in writing.

A few weeks after a recall worth millions due to a faulty screw, the car manufacturer VW is preparing another recall campaign in Germany. A spokesman said “several thousand vehicles were affected”. According to the information, internal quality tests have shown that individual high-voltage battery cells in certain vehicles in the ID family do not meet the quality requirements.

Volkswagen sees a production error at suppliers. A limited production period is affected. "In rare cases, this can lead to increased thermal stress on these batteries; in extreme cases, a fire could occur," it said. According to the “Handelsblatt”, the VW ID.3, ID.4, ID.7 and ID. Buzz from certain production periods between 2023 and 2025 as well as the Cupra Born will be affected. The planned recall has not yet officially appeared in the data from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).

Recalls are already underway in Great Britain and the USA. According to the authorities, more than 22,000 ID.4 vehicles are affected in the USA. Appropriate campaigns are being prepared for Germany and other markets. The VW spokesman said these should be activated at short notice. To this end, we are in close coordination with the responsible authorities.

As an immediate measure, VW is initially limiting the charging of the affected vehicles to a maximum of 80 percent in the interests of safety. As part of the recall, the manufacturer takes some of the cars to service centers where the high-voltage batteries are checked. Only when a battery is assessed as OK can the charging limit be lifted, the company explained.

According to VW, the affected customers will receive a letter. It contains all the important information - for example about the exact procedure of the recall and who to contact. A VW spokesman emphasized that anyone who does not receive such a letter will not be affected. VW customers will also be informed in writing about further remedial measures - which, according to the spokesman, have not yet been finalized. However, the affected battery modules do not necessarily have to be replaced; a software update may be sufficient.

At the end of September, VW called around five million cars into workshops worldwide because of a screw on the steering that was susceptible to corrosion. In individual cases, the error can affect the attachment of the steering and thus its function. In Germany, almost 1.4 million vehicles from VW and the group brands Audi, Seat and Skoda are affected by the recall. It is also not the first recall due to battery problems this year: VW and Cupra had already ordered more than 90,000 cars to workshops worldwide in March - 28,000 of them in Germany.