2023 VOLKSWAGEN ID.4 Complaints

The failure involves the driver’s side door latch/lock assembly and emergency access system. Specifically, the mechanical emergency keys for the door did not function, and the door later did not fully close or seal due to two loose bolts near the lock. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This created a safety risk because I was unable to manually unlock the vehicle in an emergency when electronic systems could fail. Additionally, while driving, the driver’s door was not fully sealed and allowed wind into the cabin without triggering any warning alert, raising concern that the door was not securely latched. The issue was reproduced and confirmed by multiple authorized Volkswagen dealerships. In December 2025, a dealership confirmed that neither set of emergency keys worked. After replacement keys also failed, a faulty door lock cylinder was identified and replaced in March 2026. In April 2026, a new issue arose where the driver’s door was visibly not flush with the frame. A dealership technician identified and tightened two loose bolts in the door lock, which resolved the issue. The vehicle has been inspected by authorized Volkswagen service departments on multiple occasions. No inspection by police or insurance representatives occurred. There were no warning lights, alerts, or messages from the vehicle prior to or during either failure. The issues first appeared in December 2025 (emergency key failure) and again in April 2026 (door not properly sealing). Based on repeated failures and repairs involving the same door/lock, I believe there may be a defect related to the door latch/lock system or prior repair work that impacts safe operation and emergency access.

We bought our car in April, 2024 from Wellesley Volkswagen, [XXX] . The car has a problem with the windshield wiper Control (safety standard 101?). The car’s windshield wiper stalk is on the right side of the steering wheel. Moving the stalk up or down activates the front wipers. Pulling the stalk will activate the front wiper washer. Pushing the stalk away will activate the rear wiper and washer. Moving the stalk up from the off position will provide 1 wipe. Moving the stalk down from the neutral position will first activate rain sensing/interval wiping then slow continuous wiping and finally fast continuous wiping. There is also slider button on the stalk to vary the sensitivity of the rain sensing/ interval wiping mode. The first wiping position can be configured to operate at either interval wiping or rain sensing through the car’s customization setting (screen interface). We have the wipers set for rain sensing. The rain sensing is triggered by the stalk being in the first position and rain being “seen” by the sensor (camera) at the top center of the windshield. The slider adjusts the sensitivity so that it activates occasionally or aggressively depending on the rain level and the driver’s preference. From the time we bought the car to present day, we find the rain sensing will not work about 25% of the time: the wipers will not turn on when in the sensing position and it is raining. On one recent occasion during a light rain, the wipers went on full speed in the sensing position, and I had to move the stalk to the 2nd position (continuous slow wiping). There was nothing blocking the sensor which would cause this behavior. After a couple minutes I move it back to the sensing position and the sensing performed normally. I brought it to the dealer’s attention a few times over the past 2 years, but made them officially write it up and check on how to fix this at the April 13, 2026, 2nd year service with no resolution. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Hello, My name is [XXX] , and I have been experiencing loss of battery driving range and performance since I purchased my preowned VW ID.4 Pro in February 2025. When I charge the battery to 80% at home and then drive(normal) to a location 20 miles away, I observe losing approximately 40-60 miles, regularly. I use the regenerative braking as much as possible to help restore some of that mileage loss. But this should not be happening. I cannot rely on my vehicle for long trips without charging too many times before reaching my destination. And now we are being advised to not use level 3 public fast charging for concerns of potential fire. And to NOT park in our home garages after charging our vehicles. This recall seems pretty serious. On my first service in December 2025 with Coachella Valley Volkswagon, I explained the issues I described to the service department and was told that it might be a software issue, which was updated. This was before I was unaware of an active Recall from Volkswagon. The very same problems and my concerns still exist currently. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

UNKNOWN -- I was turning 90 deg from the street into my 30' driveway, going very slow as usual with foot on brake pedal to slow further before entering the garage (the door had just finished lifting). But as I was straightening the steering coming out of turn, the car suddenly accelerated, brakes and steering both were unresponsive and the car smashed into the garage. Slowed further by the impact, the car caromed into the garage stairs smashing them to pieces before coming to rest against the rear garage wall after I hit the OFF button (it's an EV). There was no alert from the onboard systems of a pending crash and the air bags did NOT deploy. I was uninjured. Posting my accident on a social media owners group, other owners have had similar experience of the electronics going out while driving. The car remains at a 45 deg angle inside the garage now 6 days later awaiting the insurance company to come and extricate it for their assessment of the damage to the car.

The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V030000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that while charging the vehicle at a charging station, there was an abnormal, exploding sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while in a drive-thru. The vehicle was safely driven to the residence. The dealer was contacted to schedule an appointment and informed the contact that there was no part available for the repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted and advised to reach out to another dealer for the recall repair. Tracy Volkswagen (2605 Auto Plaza Way, Tracy, CA 95304) was contacted and the contact was informed that there was no part available to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 19,200.

We took this vehicle in for a previous recall for defective exterior door handle. The previous one worked fine, but was replaced do the the recall. The new handle broke within days of being installed. We have requested to have it replaced numerous times by the dealer who says that parts aren't available. It has been more than six months. We are worried about it failing and being unable to enter or exit the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V344000 (Back Prevention, Equipment, Electrical System); and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the recall repair was performed; however, the vehicle failed to start and became inoperable after the repair. The dealer determined that the emergency call module needed to be replaced but at the vehicle owner’s expense. The contact declined to pay for the repair and contacted the manufacturer, who referred the contact to another dealer for a second opinion. The vehicle remained with the first dealer because the vehicle was undrivable, and because the second dealer was 2 hours away. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer offered no help in covering the cost of the repair. The contact stated that the recall repair had failed to prevent the failure and caused the vehicle to become inoperable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Car has been in and out of various VW dealers since purchase at the end of August 2023. Car was purchased new. Immediately began receiving emergency “stop driving vehicle” messages on driver display. VW on call service advised if the car drives, I can operate it and no further action is necessary. Various Electical errors including charge 12V battery, infotainment screen going black or resetting while driving, no display while in reverse, car losing power on highway, car alarm going off while driving, if hazard lights are used, they do not shut off unless the car is off and driver is out of the car for at least ten minutes, interior lights flash on and off (this is a safety issue as is if incredibly difficult to see while driving at night, car has been in shop three times for this, no repairs, the car battery drains incredibly quickly; usually get about 2kWh in town driving, charging errors; charger not recognized, or car displays it is charging, but when complete, it didn’t charge, windows don’t respond to the controls, door handles don’t always work to open the doors; often have to access the car from passenger side (these have been replaced and still don’t work), emergency braking system doesn’t function, car ghost breaks (no objects ahead, clean sensors, driving and brakes slam on), multiple leaks in vehicle including headlights, rear driver tail light, and the light on top of the back hatch, car loses connection to emergency system, infotainment screen doesn’t respond to finger touches and must be reset, to initiate OTA updates, fuse needs to be pulled. I barely drive the car, and it’s my only vehicle. It’s not safe (lighting issues ongoing, alarms, safety features don’t work, can’t get into the car) and not reliable for travel as charging is hit or miss (at commercial charging stations and home charging station), and the battery life is extremely short, even in perfect conditions using cruise control in eco mode, the car only travels about 130 miles.

This is a supplemental report to my previous filing regarding a 2023 VW ID.4 battery fire. On May 28, 2025, while being operated, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic thermal event. White smoke emanated from the front compartment followed by active flames. The vehicle was a total loss. Critical Safety Finding: A subsequent forensic examination conducted on October 29, 2025 (File 27739-01) by a certified fire investigator confirmed that after the initial fire was suppressed, the vehicle reportedly caught fire an additional time while being held at a tow/storage facility. Component Failure: The fire originated in the front compartment area. The failure is consistent with the "thermal runaway" risks identified in Recall 26V030, involving defective battery cell electrodes. Safety Risk: The multiple ignition nature of this failure poses a lethal risk to occupants, emergency responders, and tow/salvage facility operators. The fact that the vehicle reignited twice in storage, long after the initial suppression, suggests that current safety protocols or the scope of the existing recall may not fully address the volatility of this specific battery defect. Inspection Status: The vehicle was inspected by the manufacturer’s engineers and an independent forensic investigator. However, the manufacturer and the insurer are currently withholding the Photographic Report and Technical Field Report from the consumer. These records are vital to understanding the severity of the "multiple -ignition" event and should be subpoenaed or requested by NHTSA investigators to ensure the recall remedy is sufficient to prevent secondary fires in storage environments.

Car is developing a paint chip even on the top of the hood since the car was purchased. According to google search, some of white and gray colored made in the USA Id4 card have the paint issues.