Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (3-L, front), Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson (C), Crown Princess Victoria and Foreign Minister Maria Malmser Stenergard pose for a group photo along with, among others, Jacob Wallenberg, Borje Ekholm and Martin Lundstet, at World of Volvo where the leaders will hold bilateral meetings and participate in discussions with European business leaders on innovation and trade, in Gothenburg, Sweden, 17 May 2026. EPA/BJORN LARSSON ROSVALL SWEDEN OUT Reuters reported in February that Volvo would recall more than 40,000 EX30s and replace battery modules due to a defect that could cause packs to overheat and potentially catch fire.
The Thai watchdog said on Tuesday it would escalate fire-risk complaints to an internal committee, a move that could lead to civil action against Volvo Thailand and its dealers. The agency is seeking refunds plus interest for 45 complainants.
Civil action seeks remedies rather than criminal punishment.
DISRUPTIONS
Volvo is due to meet the watchdog on Thursday, according to Patcharin Sumsiripong, secretary to the Prime Minister's Office. Volvo Cars did not comment on the possibility of a civil suit.
The move follows mounting customer frustration over delays in replacement parts. In December Volvo started advising owners in more than a dozen countries, including Brazil, Australia, Britain and Thailand, to limit charging to 70% as an interim measure. Thai officials said this had proved insufficient.
A Volvo Cars spokesperson said there was some delay due to the Iran war. They added that incidents remain rare, with fires reported in 0.1% of affected vehicles, and the recall has been reduced to 37,802 cars from 40,323.
Chief Commercial Officer Erik Severinson acknowledged that customers were annoyed.
"Rightfully so - a lot of customers were frustrated," he said, adding the company now had a good pipeline of batteries.
"We're working as fast as we can to get the new battery modules out to the retailers and to the service workshops ... But I'm not happy for any customer that needs to wait".
In notices seen by Reuters, Volvo Cars Thailand said after the latest fire that repairs would begin on May 23, urging customers to continue limiting charging until fixes are completed, though timelines vary globally. A customer in New Zealand has been told replacements will not begin until the third quarter of 2026.
EX30 owner Jakkapong Tawarom, 32, said he was disappointed by the delay. "Volvo's response and problem-solving was not worthy of the trust we had," he said.
(Reporting by Marie Mannes in Stockolm and Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat in Bangkok. Editing by Mark Potter)