Thousands of Volkswagen vehicles face recall over battery fault

Carmaker Volkswagen (VW) is preparing a recall in Germany affecting several thousand vehicles due to faulty high-voltage batteries, a spokesman said on Thursday, responding to a report in the business daily Handelsblatt, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

The company said internal quality checks had found that individual high-voltage battery cells in certain ID family vehicles did not meet quality requirements.

The defects originated in the production processes of suppliers and affected a limited production period, it said.

“In rare cases, this can lead to increased thermal stress on these batteries; in extreme cases, a fire could break out,” the company said.

According to Handelsblatt, the affected models include 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.

The company initially did not identify the models affected.

Recalls are already underway in Britain and the United States. In the US, more than 22,000 ID.4 vehicles are affected, according to authorities.

For Germany and other markets, the corresponding recall measures are being prepared and should be launched at short notice, the spokesman said.

The company added that it was in close coordination with the relevant authorities.

The recall had not yet been listed in the German Federal Motor Transport Authority’s (KBA) database.

The number of vehicles affected worldwide was not immediately known.