The Volkswagen Group is recalling more than 100,000 plug-in-hybrid vehicles globally, including models from Audi, Seat, Skoda and VW.
From the Volkswagen brand, 42,300 Passat, Golf, Tiguan, and Arteon models are affected by the recall. An additional 24,400 Audi vehicles will also be recalled, while it isn’t known exactly how many Seat and Skoda vehicles are affected yet.
The recall stems from an insufficiently insulated high-voltage battery in plug-in hybrid models. The battery can get hot when in use, and cause a fire if the insulation isn’t doing its job properly. 16 cases have been reported in Germany so far.
German publication Bild cited the country’s federal motor vehicle office (KBA), stating: “The problem is caused by a faulty fuse in the drive system of plug-in hybrid vehicles (i.e. hybrids that have a cable-chargeable battery in addition to the internal combustion engine). This fuse can fail in the event of an over-voltage, which in turn can cause the high-voltage battery to catch fire.”
In order to fix affected vehicles, additional protective insulating mats over the switch box of the high-voltage battery will be installed.
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A PHEV VW Golf GTE Exploded Into Flames Last Year
In February of 2021, an incident occurred when a plug-in hybrid VW Golf GTE exploded while the owner was driving. The vehicle was only two days old and had only collected 300 kilometers (187 miles) on the odometer when the driver heard a huge bang, and saw a bright blue flash.
Firefighters requested a special container for the vehicle to be placed in, in order to extinguish the fire. They were able to be put it out without the use of the container, even though the battery caused the fire to reignite several times. The incident led property damage to the tune of €45,000 (nearly $50,000).
VW responded to the 2021 incident by saying: “The safety of our customers is our top priority. In order to be able to guarantee the high standard we have set for our vehicles, we are currently analyzing the circumstances and the technical background of a case in which, according to the media report, there is said to have been an explosion in a Golf 8. Based on the results of the investigation, we will initiate appropriate measures if necessary.”