Volvo Is Recalling 40,000 EX30s Because They Might Catch On Fire

• Volvo is recalling more than 40,000 EX30s for a battery fire risk, Reuters reported on Monday.
• The automaker says that affected owners should park their cars away from buildings and limit charging to just 70%.
• Affected cars will have battery modules replaced.

From tariffs to software problems, Volvo has been having a rough time with its electric vehicles lately. Now, a massive recall for 40,323 of its EVs is yet another pothole for the company to navigate.

The car in question is none other than the already troubled EX30—the compact crossover meant to put an affordable price tag on electric cars across the globe. The recall, which was reported by Reuters, involves battery modules that are at risk of overheating and catching fire.

Both Single-Motor Extended Range and Twin-Motor Performance trims are affected by the recall. They both have cells provided by Shandong Geely Sunwoda Power Battery Co, a joint-venture backed by Volvo’s Chinese parent company, Geely. Volvo told Reuters that the battery supplier has since fixed the issue and it will be replacing packs with the revised part.

According to the outlet, Volvo has been quietly asking owners in more than a dozen countries to limit their charging to just 70% and park their cars away from buildings while it works to deploy the fix (which is, of course, to replace the modules in the affected cars’ high-voltage battery packs).

A U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration filing from January shows that the advisory has been in effect across multiple markets since at least December 2025. At the time, Volvo cited just 40 cars as potentially affected in the U.S., with manufacturing dates ranging from September 6th, 2024 to October 25th, 2025.

Some owners say that the charge limit has caused them to face higher costs. While Reuters didn’t specify what owners meant by this, it may have to do with owners spending more time charging via more expensive public fast-chargers than at home where topping-off is cheaper. But because Volvo urges a cap of 70%, some owners with longer commutes may face range limitations. For reference, the 2025 Volvo EX30 Single Motor has an estimated range of 261 miles (which works out to around 183 miles at 70%). On the highway or in cold weather, expect even less. 

This recall, while being handled by Volvo, could still deal a blow to the automaker’s hard-earned reputation for safety. Hell, it quite literally gifted the three-point seat belt to the auto industry in 1959. Any safety-related recall looks bad for Volvo, let alone one that involves a car catching on fire.

Volvo isn’t the only car company that’s had to grapple with widespread battery issues. 

General Motors, for example, suffered a big hit when it was forced to recall 140,000 Chevy Bolts in 2020. That led to an estimated cost of nearly $2 billion ($1.2 billion of which was paid by the battery supplier, LG Chem). It issued another fire-related recall for the Bot and Bolt EUV in 2024. Nissan has recalled tens of thousands of Leaf EVs for a battery issue.

These sorts of mass recalls are not a good look for companies trying to break into the EV space. Battery safety is one of those zero-tolerance arenas that consumers and regulators really don’t fool around with.