VW Recalls 72,700 EVs Worldwide Over Faulty Battery Cells: ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz and Cupra Born

Volkswagen has made official what leaked last week: a global recall of 72,668 electric vehicles over high-voltage battery cells that may not meet quality specifications, German trade publication electrive reported on October 21. The campaign, now registered with Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), covers certain batches of the VW ID.3, ID.4, ID.7 and ID.Buzz, plus the Cupra Born from VW’s Spanish sub-brand — ID-family vehicles built between 2022 and 2025, and Cupra Borns from 2022 to 2024. Roughly 10,000 of the affected cars are in Germany, and a parallel action in the UK covers the ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo.

The root cause traces to manufacturing errors at battery suppliers, a VW spokesperson told Handelsblatt. Internal quality checks found that cells in certain production batches fall short of specifications; in rare cases, affected cells can develop increased thermal stress — and in extreme cases there is a fire risk, particularly when aggressive fast-charging profiles combine with a state of charge above 80%. The KBA said there had been no reported incidents of property damage or personal injury at the time of the announcement, making this a precautionary recall.

The remedy comes in stages. As an immediate safety measure, Volkswagen will temporarily limit maximum charging to 80% via an over-the-air update where technically possible. A permanent remedy is still being developed; owners of affected vehicles will be notified by letter once it is ready. Anyone driving one of these models should charge to 80% or less starting now, watch for their notification letter, and contact VW customer service with questions about their specific vehicle.