Thailand's consumer protection agency has approved a civil lawsuit against carmaker Volvo Cars' Thai unit and the service provider Scandinavian Auto following reports of battery-related fires in the EX30 electric model, Reuters reports.

The agency represents 550 complainants and intends to file separate lawsuits for each case. The first case, seeking damages of 1.2 million baht, will be submitted to prosecutors next week.

A settlement between Volvo, the agency, and the customers failed to materialize during a meeting in Bangkok in May.

Volvo previously issued a global recall for over 40,000 EX30 units due to a battery defect that could cause overheating and fire risks. The number of affected vehicles was later revised down to 37,802.

The company has stated that the fires are rare and have been reported in significantly less than 0.1 percent of the recalled vehicles.