Cargo bike manufacturer Babboe has replaced just 500 vehicles in the three months since it began a recall of 22,000 bikes because of safety issues.

Only 6,000 of the machines have been collected from owners in the Netherlands and Germany after cases were reported of the frames breaking while they were being used.

Babboe has offered customers a replacement bike or a voucher if the vehicle is more than five years old, in a recall operation that is expected to cost parent company Accell Group tens of millions of euros.

The manufacturer is also being investigated by the prosecution service and product safety watchdog NVWA over allegations that it tried to cover up the flaws.

Owners have complained of long waits to contact the company and problems with the website set up by Babboe to handle recalls.

Natalie Rijneveen, from Zoetermeer, told AD.nl: “The frame number of our cargo bike wasn’t recognised and calling them got me nowhere. The customer service line is unavailable or you get people on the phone who don’t know anything.”

Long waits

Other disgruntled owners said they had had to wait four weeks for their bike to be collected and another month or longer for a replacement to be delivered.

Customers also accused of Babboe of profiteering by issuing replacement vouchers for older models that can only be spent in the company’s web shop, where the prices are higher than those offered by discount retailers.

The company has yet to start inspecting the recalled bikes to see if they can be made roadworthy again, but said it was waiting for the NVWA to approve its recall and repair plan.

“We understand our customers’ frustration and are doing everything we can to get everybody back safely on the road as soon as possible,” Babboe said in a statement.