On March 1, Santa Cruz Bicycles issued a voluntary recall for its Heckler 9 E-Bikes. As part of the recall, the brand urges customers to “immediately stop using the e-bike and disconnect the battery from the ebike and charger until [a service tech has] checked if the battery is affected.”
According to Santa Cruz, the Heckler 9’s interchangeable 740Wh battery can pose a fire hazard. All affected batteries need to be appropriately disposed of and replaced as soon as possible. The recall was conducted in conjunction with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which cited three incidents of the e-bikes catching fire. No injuries have been reported relating to this defect.
This is not the first time Santa Cruz has issued a recall for the Heckler 9. In 2022, the California brand recalled the Heckler 9 for problems with the battery latch and spring, which posed both fall and fire hazards. That problem required a repair of the latch mechanism and/or battery spring.
The current recall for the Heckler 9 concerns the battery itself. Santa Cruz notes that this recall only affects the battery and not the whole bicycle, and only some batteries are included. GearJunkie contacted Santa Cruz for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Here is how to check if your Santa Cruz Heckler 9 battery is included in the recall, and what to do about it.
Santz Cruz Heckler 9 Recall: What Owners Should Do
All of the affected Heckler 9 e-bikes were manufactured before February 2023 and contain a specific lithium-ion battery that is the source of the problem. They were sold in Gloss Avocado Green (pictured) and Maritime Grey from February 2022 until February 2025.
To check if your battery is included in the recall, remove it from the bike frame with an Allen wrench. Check the serial number on the white sticker below the barcode. The number should be 20 characters long and start with “EKA4C0G0S.” If you have an issue removing the battery, contact a Santa Cruz dealer and have a professional mechanic do it.
Then, visit the Santa Cruz Bicycles recall webpage. Enter the serial number into the “Battery Serial Number Checker.” The box will turn green if your battery is not included in the recall.
If the box turns red, however, your bike battery is included in the recall and needs to be replaced. Contact Santa Cruz Rider Support using this webform, or call them toll-free at 833-944-8335 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PT) Monday through Friday. The brand will send you a new battery, but notes that customers should remove the downtube cover from the affected battery, as they’ll need it for the replacement.
Santa Cruz also urges users to dispose of the batteries properly. Batteries must be taken to a recycling center or a bike store that participates in an e-bike battery recycling program. To locate recycling centers near you, organizations like Call2recycle.org can help you find them.
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