Volvo EV recall due to battery fire risk widens, affecting 58 more owners in S’pore

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox

ST20240111_202435454449 ntmotorshow 12 Azmi

The launch of the Volvo EX30 during the media preview of the 2024 edition of the Singapore Motorshow on Jan 11, 2024.

ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI

Volvo’s Singapore distributor is waiting for replacement parts to arrive before informing affected customers to bring their cars in to be fixed.

PHOTO: ST FILE

Google Preferred Source badge
  • 194 Volvo EX30 owners in Singapore are affected by a battery defect risking overheating and fire if charged above 70%. Globally, 33,777 cars have been impacted.
  • Affected drivers must limit charging to 70% as an interim safety fix. Wearnes Automotive will replace defective battery parts at no cost.
  • All 194 Singapore owners have been notified.

AI generated

SINGAPORE – Volvo has expanded its recall of electric cars in Singapore because of a battery defect that could lead to a fire, with another 58 owners of the EX30 Single Motor Extended Range now affected.

The recall

initially reported

in January involved 143 EX30 Ultra cars. However, seven were later confirmed to be unaffected, bringing the revised figure from that initial batch to 136.

Responding to queries on Feb 23, a spokesperson for Wearnes Automotive, Volvo’s distributor in Singapore, confirmed that all 194 owners have been notified.

As with in the earlier recall, owners affected in this round have been advised to limit their car’s maximum charge to 70 per cent.

This is an interim fix while the owners wait for replacement parts.

In January, it was reported that 33,777 cars globally were affected. Volvo informed customers of a potential hardware issue within the car’s high-voltage battery. This can cause the battery to overheat if it is charged to above the 70 per cent threshold, which, in very rare cases, could lead to a fire.

Wearnes Automotive said there has been no reported incident related to this defect in Singapore. The Straits Times has contacted the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for comment.

The spokesperson said battery modules of the recalled cars will be inspected, and affected parts will be replaced at no cost to the owners. The replacement parts are currently being manufactured and shipped to Singapore, and customers will be informed once the parts arrive.

On Dec 30, Volvo posted the notification about the recall on the LTA’s electronic vehicle recall system, with similar recalls under way globally. This includes 10,440 units in Britain, 2,815 in Australia and 40 in the US.

Among the newly affected owners in Singapore is Mr Carl Skadian, 64.

He was previously told that his car was not affected, but was informed by the dealer on Feb 21 via WhatsApp that his car was part of the expanded recall.

For Mr Skadian, who got his Volvo EX30 in late February 2025, charging up the battery to 70 per cent means he has to charge every four or five days, instead of every eight to 10 days, when he was charging up the car to around 90 per cent.

He has not been told when his car will be called in for the rectification, and said he has no choice but to wait to be informed by the dealer.

See more on