The Volkswagen Group plans to recall several electric models based on the MEB platform. According to the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA or Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt), this affects 74,579 units globally of the ID. 3, ID. 4, ID. 5, and ID. Buzz, and ID. Buzz Cargo series, as well as 19,452 Cupra Born vehicles.
The issue involves potentially faulty battery modules. According to the KBA recall database, the affected vehicles were built between 7 February 2022 and 23 August 2024.
The models ID. 3, ID. 4, and ID. 5, along with the Cupra Born, were produced at Volkswagen’s Zwickau plant in Germany, while both ID. Buzz variants rolled off the line at VW Commercial Vehicles in Hanover. Some 28,000 cars are located in Germany; almost one-tenth of that number (2,220 vehicles) is in Belgium.
Non-compliant battery modules
In the affected vehicles, individual modules within the high-voltage battery may not meet specifications. According to the KBA, non-compliant battery modules can reduce driving range and trigger a yellow warning light. “There is also a risk of fire,” the authority notes in its defect description.
It remains unclear how the issue was identified, but no cases of property damage or personal injury have been reported. This indicates the problem was likely detected during internal checks rather than through incidents in customer vehicles. VW officially stated that the issue has been detected by its quality-check department.
As part of the recall, Volkswagen will install a software update and inspect the high-voltage battery modules. Any modules found to deviate from specifications will be replaced. For these model years of its MEB-based vehicles, the VW Group sourced battery cells from external suppliers and assembled the modules in-house. The KBA documents do not specify the exact nature of the deviation, leaving open a broad range of possible causes.
Some inconsistencies
Some details raise questions. For example, the affected Cupra Born units were built between 7 February 2022 and 21 April 2024. By contrast, the VW ID. 3, produced alongside the Born on the same line at the Zwickau plant, is only affected for vehicles manufactured between 24 June 2023 and 23 August 2024. The reason for this discrepancy is not explained.
A similar inconsistency appears elsewhere: the ID. 4 and its SUV coupé sibling, the ID. 5, are typically built on a second Zwickau line together with the Audi Q4 e-tron and its Sportback variant. However, neither Audi model is listed in the KBA recall.
The KBA reference number for the recall of the VW models is 16271R, and VW internally refers to the action under codes 93MI and 93MU. For the separately recalled Cupra Born, the KBA reference number is 16269R, and the internal code is 93S4.
In January, the Volkswagen ID. 7, produced between 2 September 2023 and 21 March 2024, had already been subject to a recall due to similar problems with the battery cells.
