The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is opening a review to ensure all defective batteries produced by LG Energy Solution have been recalled by automakers, reports news agency Reuters.
The review covers 138,324 vehicles that have been recalled since 2020 by four OEMS following suspected internal failures in automotive batteries that pose fire risks.
The auto safety NHTSA agency noted Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler-parent Stellantis, General Motors and Hyundai Motor have issued the recalls.
- Mercedes-Benz: recalled 351 ID4 vehicles from the 2021 model year due to concerns of insufficient soldering points and potentially unreliable connections inside the high voltage battery
- Chrysler parent Stellantis: in February, recalled plug-in hybrid vehicles made between 2017-18 and urged owners to stop recharging them, after reports of 12 fires in parked vehicles
- General Motors: last August, issued a fourth recall notice for its electric vehicles following two fires in cars “remedied” as part of the initial safety recall in November, 2020.
- Hyundai Motor: in February, 2021 recalled 82,000 EVs— primarily the Kona model—following 15 cases of fires
An LG Energy Solution spokesperson in a statement— reported by Reuters— that the company understood the request by NHTSA was a follow-up procedure, and LG Energy Solution would fully cooperate with the inquiry.
