Traction battery fault on an EV: drive to a workshop, not a trip

What the warning actually means

The symbol is a battery with a bolt through it, and it is amber. The fault sits in the cells or in the system that manages them. It is not the same as the red high voltage warning, but it often arrives before it.

Common causes

• A fault in the battery cells
• A fault in the battery management system

What to do now

1. Drive to a workshop rather than setting off on a long trip.
2. Do not rapid charge on the way.
3. If the warning turns red, or you notice smoke, unusual heat, hissing, a chemical smell or a sudden loss of power: stop safely, switch off, get everyone out and call for assistance.
4. Do not open the hood or the charge port.

What people often get wrong

Ignoring it because the car still drives. Amber is the car asking to be read soon, and waiting is how a diagnosis turns into a recovery.

When the car must go to a workshop

Now. Nothing in the traction battery is owner serviceable. On a hybrid, less electric running than before, or the engine starting far more often on a route you know, points at reduced battery capacity or a charging fault in the hybrid system.

Read next

• Red high-voltage warning on an EV: stop and call
• EV battery temperature warning: too hot, or a cooling fault?
• P0A80: traction battery degraded past the manufacturer's threshold
• Used car paperwork: history report, title and service records
• Used EV battery health: how to check it before you buy

This page is general information and does not replace a professional assessment. Symbols, codes and behaviour vary between makes. Always check the handbook for your own car.