Babboe scandal: Investigations against cargo bike manufacturer due to safety problems

Hundreds of broken frames. This is what the Dutch goods inspectorate NVWA (Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit) is talking about after concluding its investigation into Babboe and is now passing the case on to the public prosecutor's office. The accusation against the Dutch company: It did not take sufficient care of the security issue and deliberately withheld relevant information. The broadcaster RTL Nieuws reports that employees successfully hid broken frame parts from the inspectors for years during inspections by the NVWA, for example, in order to conceal the safety problem. Customers had been told that the frame would never break if it was well maintained and used normally. The customer is then responsible for any frame breakage that occurs.

ARD reports that these allegations are now being investigated by the public prosecutor's office, specifically whether the company has even acted negligently. The parent company Accell has promised its full cooperation and disapproves of the alleged offences against its Babboe brand. It is not yet known what consequences the confirmation of the allegations would have for the company.

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Babboe: 22,000 bikes recalled since February

Back in February, Babboe had to close down its dealership and recall several bike models after serious safety defects were discovered. In Germany, the City, City-E, Mini and Mini-E models were affected, reports the ADAC. Others will follow (see below). ARD and ADAC agree that a total of 22,000 bikes are to be recalled. The company has confirmed this.

In a recent press release (05/04/2024), Babboe stated that the investigation in Germany had been completed and that two further models were about to be recalled: The City Mountain model (production before 2020) and the versions of the Pro Trike/Transporter model. In Germany, the first models are to be collected in the course of April. All other models are safe for road use, but the manufacturer strongly recommends that all customers have a free inspection carried out by a qualified bicycle dealer, which will be possible from the end of April.

"This inspection is carried out in several phases. We are starting with the Mountain models. All other models will be inspected in the following weeks," explains Gerard Feenema, Director of Babboe, adding: "For owners of one of the cargo bike models affected by the recall that needs to be replaced, we have now found a suitable solution, which we will inform everyone about. Unfortunately, the implementation of this recall will take a long time. We understand that this is inconvenient for our customers, but our priority is to get everyone back on the road safely."

Compensation and replacement cargo bike

Babboe also announced what customers can expect in return for their recalled cargo bike. Those who have owned a Babboe cargo bike for less than five years will be offered a higher-value cargo bike or an e-bike on request. For those who have owned their bike for more than five years, the current value of their bike will be taken as a basis and applied to the purchase of a new cargo bike.
In addition, every Babboe cargo bike owner (whether affected by the recall or not) will receive a voucher for a maintenance check and/or accessories.