In the never‑ending saga of the Volvo EX30 battery issue, we’ve been made aware that “franchised” Volvo dealers have been supplying vehicles that are subject to the battery recall (Safety Recall R/2025/559) — something they are not legally permitted to do.

(For those highlighting that this isn’t Volvo – under their franchise agreement with the retailer, they are responsible for their legal compliance and quality assurance) 

In a post on the Volvo EX30 UK Facebook group, a buyer explained that the dealer never mentioned the battery‑module recall or the temporary 70% charging limit when they signed the paperwork. They only discovered the issue through the Facebook group and had to contact the dealer themselves. The dealer apologised, said replacement modules were expected in the coming weeks, and offered an additional three years of warranty as compensation. The buyer noted they still have Volvo’s 28‑day / 1,500‑mile return window.

General Product Safety Regulations 2005

Under Regulation 5 of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, it is illegal to supply a product that is not safe. The EX30 has a DVSA‑confirmed safety defect (recall) stating that there is a risk of an overheating High Voltage Battery Cell which could lead to a risk of fire. Therefore, supplying (selling) the vehicle in that condition breaches the GPSR.

Reulgation 5 – https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1803/regulation/5

Here is the recall notice – https://www.check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk/recall-type/vehicle/make/VOLVO%20CAR/model/EX30/year/2024/recalls

The Motor Ombudsmen

The Motor Ombudsman is explicit:

“A retailer should not sell a car to you with known faults or concerns, including those which are the subject of a recall.

In addition, The Motor Ombudsman’s Vehicle Sales Code makes reference to the fact that any faults on a vehicle, including those highlighted by a recall, need to be fixed before going on sale and delivery to a customer.”

Taken from their website – https://www.themotorombudsman.org/knowledge/can-a-retailer-sell-a-car-to-me-with-an-outstanding-recall

The DVSA

Taken from DVSAs – Manufacturers’ Guide to Recalls in the UK Automotive Sector –  Page 11

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7578f9e5274a1242c9e961/manufacturers-guide-to-recalls-in-the-uk-automotive-sector.pdf

What are the objectives of a safety recall?
There are a number of objectives to conducting a safety recall.

• Stop the distribution and sale of an affected product
• Inform the public of the issue
• Remove effectively and efficiently potentially defective products from the market place
• Prevent further distribution of the product

Volvo’s mishandling of the recall

The General Product Safety Regulations 2005 reinforce this. Businesses are prohibited from supplying any product they know is unsafe, and a car with an active safety recall is legally classed as unsafe until the repair is carried out. Offering extra warranty or goodwill does not make the sale lawful, because warranty has no bearing on product safety.

In short, the dealer should not have attempted to supply the car, and the additional warranty does not correct the breach.

This is yet another example of Volvo’s mishandling of the recall. Owners are already being told to expect waits of up to nine months for replacement battery modules, and incidents like this only underline how poorly the situation is being managed. The fact that the dealership didn’t immediately refund the buyer speaks for itself. It shows the lengths franchised Volvo dealerships will go to by misleading customers, breaching safety law, and demonstrating business practices that fall well below the standards set by UK legislation in the UK automotive sector.

Just another day for Volvo. We deserve better.

Give it back

We have reached out to the buyer of the car and urged them to hand it back. Given that the vehicle was offered with additional warranty and a very attractive trade-in, the facts above might (as Volvo hoped) be enough for this issue to be overlooked.

Recalled cars still for sale

Here are just two examples of cars for sale at my local Volvo dealerships – the Volvo Selekt approved used website is littered with them – https://selekt.volvocars.co.uk. We can confirm that both of these garages are accredited by the Motor Ombudsman – https://businesses.themotorombudsman.org

I called Marshal Grantham Volvo this afternoon (14/03/2026) and was told by their sales manager that Volvo has allowed the continued sale of the recalled cars as they are “safe” when not charged over 70%.

• https://selekt.volvocars.co.uk/en-gb/store/all/vehicles/1MmQ3MGIyNzAtNTlhNi00ZWM3LWFjNDctNmVlZTJjOTY3OWM3fENvZGV3ZWF2ZXJzU3RvY2tJZHxDYXI1?sortByRule=Distance&models=EX30&registrationYearsAbove=2024&distance=0&quoteReference=a9511faa-bb0d-463b-b97c-2e555b3b9d90&vehicleReference=d57fe62d-ed5e-44fd-9c1c-47c2a1e20bad
• https://selekt.volvocars.co.uk/en-gb/store/all/vehicles/1YjE1MjA1MGMtYmNhMi00ZTNiLWFlZjktOWM1NjNjMzNkOTUxfENvZGV3ZWF2ZXJzU3RvY2tJZHxDYXI1?sortByRule=PriceAscending&models=EX30&registrationYearsAbove=2024&quoteReference=19986f0e-bd5a-443c-b8ee-03cba6e8ce46&vehicleReference=2f699b6b-cb16-4e67-a5e7-4ec89e656ef3

If you would like to check if a vehicle has a recall, you can use the Gov website here – https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall

References

• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-on-vehicle-safety-defects-and-recalls/vehicle-safety-defects-and-recalls-code-of-practice
• https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7578f9e5274a1242c9e961/manufacturers-guide-to-recalls-in-the-uk-automotive-sector.pdf
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/general-product-safety-regulations-2005/general-product-safety-regulations-2005-great-britain

Let’s hear from you

Have you unknowingly bought an EX30 with the battery recall? How had the battery recall affected you? Let us know in the comments below

Read More

Read more about this battery issue here https://www.hypermiler.co.uk/volvo-ex30