Skywell says 60 percent of its EV fire cases linked to damage on the underside of the main battery

Skywell Türkiye has released the findings of its investigation into electric vehicle fires in Turkey. The company launched a voluntary recall and free service inspection on August 13, 2026. Checks at authorized service centers found battery damage, maintenance lapses and unauthorized software modifications.

What caused the fires

According to the company, 14 fire cases were recorded in work carried out together with the manufacturer. In two cases, owners did not consent to inspection, so those investigations could not be completed. In the completed investigations, 60 percent of the fires were linked to damage on the underside of the main battery.

In 8 percent of cases, unauthorized software installed by third parties played a role, and in 2 percent, the failure to check the 12-volt auxiliary battery was a factor. The remaining 30 percent involved missed periodic maintenance, work carried out outside authorized service centers using unsuitable materials, and bodywork and painting on the high-voltage system carried out without the necessary precautions. Skywell said these percentages were determined through case-by-case technical assessments.

Repairs not carried out on 27 vehicles

The most common problem found during the free inspections was damage to the lower section of the main battery. Skywell Türkiye said some vehicles were damaged to a degree that could pose a serious safety risk. Repairs were carried out on some of the damaged vehicles with the owners' approval. However, 27 owners declined repairs despite being told of the risks, citing time and cost. No corrective work could be done on those vehicles.

The company also said that some vehicles, which had previously been flagged for risks at authorized service centers, had recently been involved in fires. In one case, a fire broke out on first use after bodywork was repaired at an unauthorized workshop.

Pirated software warning

Skywell Türkiye found that after the recall announcements, some vehicles with pirated software were tampered with outside authorized service centers in an attempt to revert to older software. The company said these procedures did not fully restore the electronic systems and made communication problems between control units more complicated. It is asking owners of vehicles that have had unauthorized software modifications to bring them to an authorized service center without carrying out any other work first.