Volkswagen ID.4 Complaints (2023)

466 consumer complaints on file.

#11714848February 1, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle has widespread software/electronic failures affecting driving and safety systems. Failures cause erratic, loss of information while driving, unintended systems activation, and loss of emergency services. While operating the vehicle during routine driving, multiple safety-related electronic systems malfunction. The instrument panel and center display intermittently go completely blank while driving, removing speed and warning information. The vehicle has shifted into Park on its own while stopped at traffic lights (with the driver seated and seat belt fastened). Cruise control activates without driver input. Voice control activates repeatedly without pressing the steering-wheel button. Intermittent, but significant loss of propulsion power has occurred while driving. The backup camera intermittently remains on while driving forward and backup sensors intermittently fail. GPS location is severely inaccurate, the dynamic road sign display does not function, and the Emergency Call (SOS) system does not function. Car will not connect to the app, leaving many functions unavailable, including the ability to condition the battery before driving in cold conditions. Many of these issues have occurred multiple times over the course of the vehicle's history, but Volkswagen was able to fix many of these issues for a time. The date I have input below represents the approximate time the issues started to reoccur. I have made multiple attempts to resolve these issues with both the dealership and directly with Volkswagen.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714709January 31, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2023 VW ID.4 AWD Pro S is subject to Recall 93EA (NHTSA 26V030) for battery fire risk. I must: park outside only (no garage), avoid all DC fast charging, and limit charge to 80%. These restrictions substantially impair use: Cannot park in my garage due to fire risk. Cannot travel beyond ~100 miles (no DC fast charging for longer trips). Reduced range from 80% charge limit. On 1/29/26, I contacted VW Customer CARE requesting repair timeline and accommodations since my lease ends 5/26/26. VW responded: "No fixed timeline for parts availability or repair" "No special lease-end accommodations" "Not processing buybacks at this time" I am paying $750.77/month for a vehicle I cannot fully use, with no repair timeline. My confidence in timely repair is further diminished because this vehicle also has an unfulfilled door handle recall (VW 57J9 / NHTSA 24V651, dated 9/4/24)—over 16 months without resolution. If VW cannot source door handles in 16 months, battery modules will not be available before my lease ends. Filing to document: Substantial impairment from recall restrictions. VW's inability to provide repair timeline. VW's refusal to accommodate affected customers. Pattern of unfulfilled recalls (door handle 16+ months). Request NHTSA monitor VW's recall remedy timeline and ensure affected owners receive timely repairs or appropriate alternatives.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714480January 30, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
The high-voltage battery in my two leased Volkswagen ID.4 vehicles are subject to NHTSA recall 26V030 (VW campaign 93EA, Jan 2026) for potential overheating and fire risk due to missing Self-Discharge Detection (SDD) software updates. This can cause thermal propagation even when parked. No failure or fire has happened in my vehicles yet; the battery remains available for inspection. However we do have warning lights, messages, range loss, and other electrical symptoms that have appeared before the recall notice. The defect creates a serious safety risk for my family. Both vehicles normally charge indoors in the garage directly under my toddler's bedroom. A fire during charging could endanger my young child and home. Recall guidance requires parking outdoors, no indoor/overnight charging, 80% max charge, and no Level 3 (DC fast) chargers until fixed (remedy starts ~March 2026). These restrictions make safe, practical use impossible: outdoor charging in Philly winter is impractical and risky (damage/theft), and no fast charging limits daily family mobility severely. The issue hasn't been reproduced or inspected by a dealer in my case—it's precautionary based on other vehicles' incidents. No manufacturer, police, or insurance inspection has occurred for my cars. VW denied buyback or relief, saying it's covered under warranty. Combined with prior recalls (door handles, software glitches needing repeated visits), this substantially impairs safe use. The fire risk forces unsustainable charging changes with young kids at home.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713987January 28, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V030000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713671January 27, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The navigation system does not work. It places the vehicle in places where it is not and shows erroneous speed limit displays and erroneous messages about traffic conditions which do not exist where the vehicle is actually located. The Volkswagen dealer says they have no fix for this and that many of their models have this problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713612January 27, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
After spending the past 3 hours with VW's customer care department I have a serious problem with their decision to close my case until VW determines a recall action plan even though... VW has instructed me not to park in my garage or charge overnight due to fire risk VW has no parts and no timeline Vehicle range is materially reduced from stated 290 miles to 160 in winter / 225 in summer VW refuses lease relief and refuses long term loaner car VW closed the case while the recall remains open
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713300January 26, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The ABS violently stops at random times in parking lots or reversing from my garage going FWD or backwards, screen has turned black, software updates won’t go through, charging issues/wont charge, premature inner tire wear notably in the right rear passenger side, doors, especially passenger doors, won’t open, the heat is nonexistent in the rear & barely works in the front, most recently a code popped up in my app for powertrain. VW dealer wouldn’t specify until I came in person a month later & allowed me to take a picture of the code (attached) “Driving an EV with a P0AA600 isolation fault is dangerous, as it indicates a failure in the high-voltage (HV) system's insulation, causing current to leak to the chassis. Risks include severe electric shock or electrocution, fire hazards from damaged components, and potential complete vehicle failure or refusal to start.”
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713226January 25, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Problem Description The core issue stems from a production fault in the battery cells that can cause increased self-discharge. In a high-voltage battery pack, which operates like a chain of interconnected modules, a single faulty module with elevated self-discharge becomes the “weakest link.” This leads to: • Degradation of the overall usable capacity. • Reduced driving range and power limitations. • Potential cascading failures affecting additional modules over time. • Warning indicators, such as a yellow electrical system fault in the instrument cluster (fault code P0BBD00: Hybrid Battery Pack Voltage Variation Exceeded Limit). • Infotainment messages like “Electronic system does not work correctly. Please go to workshop.” • In severe cases, unexpected shutdowns or failure to pass technical inspections, potentially rendering the vehicle non-roadworthy under local regulations. The fault is linked to specific battery module part numbers from LG, including: • 0Z1.915.592.G/H/J • 0Z1.915.599.G/H/J/P These were produced through the end of 2023 (up to December 4, 2023) and include configurations like 12S2P (small capacity) and 8S3P (large capacity), meaning all MEB battery setups could be impacted. Volkswagen does not publicly disclose full VIN ranges, exact affected counts, or the precise technical cause of the manufacturing fault, but internal escalation procedures exist to identify additional defective batches.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712721January 22, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced a failure related to the high-voltage battery, which prevented the vehicle from charging properly. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V836000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712469January 21, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
door-handle safety recall had previously been completed on this vehicle. While driving at normal city speed, the front passenger door opened unexpectedly while a passenger was seated inside, creating a serious safety risk. The passenger was restrained by a seat belt, preventing ejection. The vehicle was taken to a Volkswagen dealership, which inspected the vehicle and documented that multiple door latch bolts were missing and another bolt was loose following a Volkswagen-authorized door-handle repair. The dealership stated the condition was related to prior repair workmanship. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure. Due to safety concerns, the vehicle was towed rather than driven after the incident. The vehicle remains available for inspection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711391January 16, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
My wife was involved in an accident where the car (2023 VW ID4) drove itself and crashed into six parked cars while she was attempting to apply the brakes and had no control of the steering (it drove itself). I had the insurance carrier pull down the EDR data (attached) and I have attached the Police Accident Report (attached) for your review. Thankfully, no one was injured and I have enough liability coverage to cover the property damage but would like to see this matter investigated realizing we were lucky the next person may not be.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710289January 12, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
I am reporting a potential safety-related defect involving the high-voltage battery system and associated diagnostic software in a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD. The vehicle has experienced abnormal battery behavior, including accelerated degradation and confirmed system faults affecting battery management, charging, and vehicle communication. An independent EV diagnostic test shows the high-voltage battery at approximately 91% state of health, representing about 9% degradation in under two years of normal use. The testing facility stated this rate of degradation is abnormal for the vehicle’s age, where typical expectations would be significantly lower. In addition, vehicle diagnostics show confirmed and recurring fault codes involving critical systems, including the CAN Gateway (inter-module communication), the high-voltage battery charger/battery management interface, and the emergency call and communication module. These faults are repeatedly logged as “confirmed” and “test failed since last DTC clear,” indicating persistent system-level issues rather than intermittent events. These systems are responsible for battery condition reporting, charging control, communication between vehicle control modules, and safety/telemetry functions. Limitations or failures in these systems raise concerns that battery condition and integrity may not be accurately detected or reported to the driver. Volkswagen dealerships have declined to perform the definitive manufacturer-certified battery capacity test, stating it will not be authorized unless battery capacity is already below warranty thresholds. As a result, more accurate and intrusive testing is unavailable due to manufacturer policy rather than lack of concern. I am also aware of an independent investigation released in January 2026 documenting production-related battery cell defects in Volkswagen Group MEB vehicles from model years 2021–2023, involving increased battery self-discharge and diagnostic measures that may
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709505January 7, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My ID.4 was charging in the driveway and it started on fire. My daughter came home from a friends house, saw it had started on fire, and called 911. By the time the fire department got to my house the fire had spread to the attic and continued further. My wife and pets were in the house when the fire started, but got out quickly. The vehicle has been inspected by an independent inspector in my driveway and then it was taken to an offsite facility in California to have an additional inspection. VW and Farmers Insurance (my insurance) have been involved with both inspections, but i have yet to see any information about that inspection. We saw no warning lights or any reason that we would have thought the car would start on fire. Your website would only allow me to add one photo. I have more photos that i would be happy to provide.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709490January 7, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V836000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact requested vehicle rental assistance and a place to park the fire risk vehicle; however, the request was denied. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11706349December 21, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On May 28, 2025, a 2023 VW ID.4 spontaneously caught fire while in use. The local Fire Department and County Hazmat responded to the scene. The vehicle was declared a total loss due to thermal runaway and lithium battery fume toxicity. Crucially, the vehicle experienced a secondary ignition/re-fire several days later while in the custody of a towing company, resulting in the total destruction of the vehicle and damage to third-party property. The manufacturer participated in a joint inspection of the remains in late October 2025 but has not provided an explanation for the failure. This vehicle represents a severe public safety hazard, as the fire occurred without warning and the high-voltage battery system proved unstable enough to reignite days after the initial suppression. I am requesting a formal investigation into the high-voltage battery stability and potential manufacturing defects for this model year to prevent similar life-threatening incidents for other owners.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704857December 13, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Since purchasing my vehicle in January of 2023 the front breaks have been squeaking. I brought this to the attention of the dealer where I purchased the vehicle, several times. I even asked them how I will I even supposed to know if I need new brakes because the start of the squeaking is typically a sign to get your brakes checked. Anyway, online auto forums are loaded with this squeaking brake problem!!! A few weeks ago I went in for service and VW told me my brakes were at 6mm, and suggested replacement of the pads. Yes, at 6 mm! So now all I can help but think that VW has known all along about this brake problem and at about year three, they feel that they can recommend a brake job. After leaving the dealership, I went to the garage near my house and they ordered new front pads and rotors. My problem has been resolved!! Squeaking gone!! The safety concern here is that driving this vehicle with the squeaky brakes for year will cause the driver to ignore the ongoing squeaking noise, which may result in them driving beyond the life of the brakes.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703344December 5, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
At a stop, the car began rapid acceleration by itself, the auto emergency brake began but it bypassed it and began accelerating again causing me to rear end someone at a red light
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702813December 3, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
My Volkswagen ID.4 experienced a sudden crack in the windshield followed by smoke and fire near the dashboard/A-pillar area. The manufacturer denied responsibility and claimed the windshield crack caused the fire, but glass cannot ignite or cause an electrical fire. This is a serious safety hazard because the fire originated where electrical components and sensors are located. The incident occurred without any collision or external impact. The vehicle is still under lease, and Volkswagen refuses to investigate further. I am reporting this in case this defect affects more vehicles and poses a risk to other owners.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702168December 1, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
23 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD (82 kWh LG battery, <25k miles). Vehicle has permanently lost ~25% of usable battery capacity in less than 2 years. At 80% state-of-charge the Guess-O-Meter consistently shows only 200–205 miles (full-range estimate 250–255 miles instead of EPA 275 / real-world 280–300 miles in similar conditions). Multiple dealer-recommended BMS recalibrations (discharge below 10%, sit overnight, slow-charge to 100%) have failed to restore range. Persistent charging faults: B17E0F0 (charge connector lock), P1BF100 (no AC voltage detected), P1CAF00 (zero current time exceeded). Dealer has repeatedly claimed the condition is normal and refused full HV battery capacity diagnostic. Defect has been reproduced on multiple occasions and documented with screenshots and DTCs. This creates a safety risk due to severely inaccurate range prediction and potential for stranding. Request NHTSA investigate premature high-voltage battery degradation and charging system defects in 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 models equipped with LG batteries.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700642November 20, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Drivers side Door handle will often not open after Recalled handle was installed. Requires a great deal of force many times. Was told twice by dealer that we had to "relearn" how to open the door. This is a safety hazard if a firefighter or police officer tries to open door during an emergency
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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