NHTSA Opens Recall Query Into BorgWarner EV Battery Fixes
NHTSA has opened Recall Query RQ26-005 to examine whether six recalls involving BorgWarner/Akasol Gen3 propulsion-battery packs were scoped broadly enough and whether their remedies are working. The October 30 investigation covers packs used in Volvo and Mack electric trucks, Blue Bird school buses, and Nova Bus and Gillig transit buses.
The investigation is not a new recall and it is not a finding that every repaired vehicle remains defective. A recall query is a formal review. In this case, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation, or ODI, says repeated population expansions, field failures outside earlier recall boundaries and reports of failures after recall repairs justify a closer look.
Why NHTSA opened RQ26-005
The common thread is loose hardware inside high-voltage battery packs supplied by BorgWarner and its acquired company Akasol. Manufacturer filings describe inadequately controlled torque or rework processes that can leave internal fasteners loose. If hardware detaches inside a pack, it can create a short circuit and a thermal event that may lead to a fire.
Some filings also describe another hazard: the high-voltage contactors may open when the system detects overheating, cutting propulsion and creating a possible loss-of-motive-power risk. Warning behavior differs by application. The Cummins equipment filing says a red dashboard lamp may illuminate, while Gillig’s filing says it was not aware of an early warning that would effectively reduce the risk.
The six recalls under review
| Recall | Application | Population history cited by NHTSA |
|---|---|---|
| 25V055 | 2023–2025 Volvo VNR Electric trucks | 13, then 77, 142 and 174 vehicles |
| 25E018 | Battery packs used in Blue Bird buses | 19, then 107 packs after four amendments |
| 25V184 | 2022–2023 Nova Bus LFS transit buses | 4, then 10, 16 and 24 vehicles |
| 25V185 | 2022–2025 Mack LRBE electric trucks | 7, then 10 and 17 vehicles |
| 25V203 | 2023–2024 Gillig Low Floor transit buses | 15, then 27 vehicles |
| 25E035 | BorgWarner/Akasol Gen3 battery packs | 543 packs after amendments |
The chronology shows why ODI is looking beyond a single campaign. Volvo Trucks’ recall grew from 13 VNR Electric trucks in February 2025 to 174 by July. Cummins’ equipment recall for packs installed in Blue Bird buses increased from 19 to 107 packs after four amendments in five months. Nova Bus expanded from four LFS buses to 24, Mack from seven LRBE trucks to 17, and Gillig from 15 Low Floor buses to 27.
BorgWarner filed equipment recall 25E035 on May 29, 2025. After amendments, NHTSA says that campaign reached 543 battery packs. That figure does not mean 543 additional vehicles. Equipment recalls can cover the same components already identified in vehicle-manufacturer campaigns, and one vehicle may use more than one pack.
What the original recall filings say
The Volvo Trucks filing for 25V055 says certain VNR Electric trucks may contain BorgWarner/Akasol Gen3 batteries built under suspect torque and rework conditions. It identifies fire as the safety risk and says the truck’s battery thermal-management system can warn the driver through the instrument cluster and driver-information display.
The Cummins filing for 25E018 identifies BorgWarner pack part number P102040200012. It says internal fastener pieces can detach because of inadequate manufacturing-process control, potentially causing a short circuit, a partial battery fire and an unexpected opening of the high-voltage contactors. At the time of that March 2025 filing, Cummins reported no vehicle fires or injuries attributed to the condition.
Those historical statements should not be read as the final incident count. NHTSA’s new query says its review was prompted in part by additional field failures outside prior recall scope and by reports of post-remedy failures. The agency has not yet published a conclusion on whether any campaign requires another expansion or a different repair.
What owners and fleet operators should do
- Check each vehicle by VIN through NHTSA’s recall lookup or the manufacturer’s fleet portal; campaign numbers alone do not confirm that a particular vehicle is included.
- Complete any open recall promptly and retain repair documentation, including pack serial numbers when available.
- If a warning appears, the vehicle loses propulsion or the battery shows heat, smoke or unusual odor, follow the manufacturer’s emergency guidance and move away from the vehicle when it is safe to do so.
- Report suspected post-repair failures to the manufacturer and NHTSA. Those reports can help ODI evaluate remedy effectiveness.
Owners should not assume that every Blue Bird, Volvo, Mack, Nova Bus or Gillig electric vehicle is affected. The campaigns apply to defined production groups and component serial ranges. Fleet operators also should not rely on the table above as a substitute for a VIN or equipment check, because the recall populations changed repeatedly.
Why this investigation matters
Heavy-duty electric vehicles use large battery systems, often in demanding duty cycles and around passengers, depots or freight facilities. A remedy that misses suspect hardware or fails to prevent a repeat event has consequences beyond the cost of replacing a pack. At the same time, the existence of RQ26-005 does not establish that BorgWarner’s remedy failed across all six campaigns. That is the question ODI is now investigating.
The query also illustrates how supplier-level defects can appear across several vehicle brands and recall numbers. Chiefs Review recently covered Audi’s Q4 e-tron battery-fire recall with a remedy still pending and NHTSA’s broader work on tire rules for new technology and heavy loads. RQ26-005 is different: it is a review of existing recall boundaries and repairs rather than a newly announced defect campaign.
Featured image: archive photo of a 2020 Blue Bird Vision electric school bus, representative of one application type referenced in NHTSA’s investigation; it is not identified as a recalled vehicle. Photo by UniversityRailroad, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Image source. No changes were made other than WordPress image scaling.
Sources
- NHTSA investigations dataset page, updated November 3, 2026; RQ26-005 opened October 30, 2026
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation flat-file record for RQ26-005
- NHTSA Part 573 report for Volvo Trucks recall 25V055
- NHTSA Part 573 report for Cummins equipment recall 25E018
- NHTSA Part 573 report for Gillig recall 25V203