While entering a parking lot at a low speed, with my foot already firmly applied to the brake due to the close proximity of a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own unexpectedly. Despite continuous pressure on the brake pedal, the vehicle proceeded forward, struck another parked vehicle, and continued moving for approximately two additional seconds before coming to a stop on its own. Additionally, no forward collision/crash warning alert was activated prior to impact, and the airbags did not deploy during the collision.
2023 Volkswagen ID.4 driver assistance complaints
Page 2 of 5: complaints 11 to 40 of 123, newest first, as owners wrote them.
When I was backing from a parking space, another car drove behind mine and the car's maneuvering braking kicked in and decelerated the vehicle. When I stepped on the brake, the car then accelerated backwards and caused me to collide with the crossing vehicle.
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 the federal safety agency 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.
The driver of my vehicle stated that my car suddenly lurched forward striking a cross passing vehicle. He did not accelerate and the emergency brake system failed to engage in advance of an obvious and avoidable crash.
Request for Investigation: Volkswagen is intentionally ignoring a widespread GPS/SOS module failure and leaving thousands of battery fire hazards on the road, while its dealers exploit safety service visits to extort customers. I urge the federal safety agency to launch a formal investigation into VW’s failure to recall the defective GPS modules and their systemic practice of offering cash settlements to suppress safety defect reporting. Thank you for your attention to this urgent public safety matter. I stand ready to provide all supporting documentation, including the dealer’s fraudulent invoice and VW’s settlement communications, upon your request. I respectfully urge the federal safety agency to act swiftly and decisively to prevent another corporate cover-up like Dieselgate, and before these unaddressed safety defects result in a fatal tragedy—as we recently saw with Hyundai's delayed recall following a child's death.
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.
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
Continuously receiving error message to have front sensors cleaned. Vehicle brought into dealership several times, for weeks at a time. On last visit sensors replaced, and I was told that “ The front sensors have a level of damage caused by sand, salt and other road debris. This has resulted in some scratches which are triggering the sensors and giving you the warnings that you are referring to.” Given this, the front sensor issues are a manufacturing flaw. I asked this if the dealer and, given the stated cause of sand, salt and road debris the likely frequency. With no answer.
On October 04/2025 The vehicle was parked and stationary when it suddenly accelerated forward on its own. The brakes were completely unresponsive. I had a passenger in the front seat, and both she and I are certain that I was pressing the brake, but the car did not slow down at all. Within a few seconds, the vehicle gained speed, and I lost control. There was no space to maneuver, and I could do nothing but brace myself against the seat and watch my rear passengers. The vehicle continued forward and crashed into a tree directly in front, causing damage to the right side of the bumper, and a large rock in front also received the impact. The airbags did not deploy. The two rear passengers struck their heads during the impact and sustained bumps, and my dog was also affected in the collision.This accident occurred despite the car having a recent annual inspection and software update. The sudden acceleration is not the only issue I have experienced with this vehicle. I have had additional safety concerns. The doors would lock, unlock and open by themselves while driving on the freeway. On May 2024, my dog was trapped inside when the doors locked automatically with my keys inside the car. I had to ask a police official in my neighborhood for a phone to call roadside assistance, and it took several hours to get my dog out of the vehicle.
This issue relates to the federal safety agency Recall 24V344 / VW Recall 919A as the repair for this recall has already been applied to my vehicle. Despite that, while driving, my vehicle experienced a complete electronics shutdown, including loss of the instrument cluster, center display, and rearview camera. This occurred after the recall 919A software update was applied. As such, I believe the safety of my self and others was put at risk. I brought my vehicle to the dealer for diagnosis and they identified fault code U111000 with symptom 7223 but informed me that this was classified “non-customer-relevant” and therefore should be ignored. I believe the repair that Volkswagen has provided for Recall 24V344 is ineffective and the conditions that instigated this recall still exist.
A message stating forward collision assist is unavailable. The adaptive cruise control does not see the vehicle in front of you. The vehicle randomly emergency brakes. And a four Mile drive it would emergency brake three times. Dealer stated it was fixed. I return to the vehicle an hour later stating the problem persists and it is not fixed or safe to drive. I have a text from the dealer confirming the problem persists they have unable to diagnose or repair. The car is in their possession since June 7th 2025
The cruise control failed to slow down , instead it accelerated . My safety and the safety of my families was put at risk due to a sudden stop in I25 southbound cause us to slow down and when I pushed the down arrows to slow us down and pushed the brake pedal we didn’t slow down, instead we were jolted forward in accelerating speeds. Thankfully we missed the car in front of us due to us me swerving into the shoulder to assure no collision. The problem has happened on 4 different occasions. Volkswagen is aware of the issue and we have not received any kind of update or remedy for the defect. No one has inspected it , we were to have an appointment this Monday Sept 9th to have it all checked out. The gps , sos button , road side assistance and speedometer aren’t functioning properly in our car as well. No warnings lights were on and no notifications of any problems.
I am a current lessee of a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 (VIN: [XXX] ), leased on [XXX], under a 36‑month agreement (Lease Account #: [XXX]). The vehicle is still under warranty at 23,000 miles. The navigation/GPS system has a persistent defect (location drift far from actual position), verified by dealership technicians on multiple visits. On my second visit, the dealer refused to escalate to Volkswagen, citing a vague “Verizon update” explanation, despite my personal carrier being unrelated to the vehicle’s built-in navigation. The defect is plainly internal to the vehicle’s hardware/software. I attempted to contact Volkswagen Customer CARE and was left on hold for over 40 minutes before the call disconnected, with no assistance provided. This is a breach of warranty and a failure to provide adequate service. I request the Division compel Volkswagen to: - Escalate my case to technical specialists and repair the defect (including module replacement if necessary), or - Waive all lease-related fees and penalties (early termination, disposition, excess wear) if I return the vehicle due to unresolved defects. I can provide service records, dealership notes, video evidence, and call log INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
It is very easy to inadvertently touch the "SET" button for the cruise control. The button is capacitive so a very light touch activates the button, and it is on the outer edge of steering wheel spoke, meaning a light brush while turning the wheel activate the button. When maneuvering at slow speeds (such as in a parking lot) this results in the car accelerating, uncommanded, and without warning, up to the minimum speed of the cruise control.
Cruise control / resume cruise can inadvertently be activated due to the haptic touch pads on the steering wheel. On multiple occasions when exiting a highway after using cruise control and while turning the steering wheel, my hand inadvertently brushes against the RESUME haptic touch pad, causing the vehicle to immediately speed up to my last preset cruise speed. This is a constant issue as I use my vehicle daily for work purposes, and has caused multiple near-accidents. Per my dealer, Volkswagen does not have a fix for this. This is a non-issue in my other VW vehicle, as it has button instead of haptic touch on the steering wheel. Haptic touch should not be on a steering wheel.
The incident occurred on May 24, 2025, while preparing to park the 2023 VW ID4. I had two occupants in the car with me. At the time of the incident, I was moving very slow with my foot on the brake, just about ready to stop and put the car in the park position, when the ID4 suddenly violently lurched forward. The car went over a cement parking stop continuing forward on to a sidewalk and then hit a building. I tried to stop the vehicle as quickly as I could. No collision lights, none of the usual sensors, and no automatic Collison braking came on. The only braking was by me. If someone would have been walking in front of the car at the time of the incident there would have been serious injuries, or deaths. Had the car had more room to accelerate before it hit the building, I think myself & my passengers could have been injured. The vehicle was taken into VW dealership who had the car for five weeks. The car was inspected by a VW engineer, final report states driver pressed the accelerator causing the vehicle to go forward at 54% acceleration. I expressed to the VW dealership that the car DID lunge but that I did not touch the accelerator. I had 2 passengers that can also verify that there were no warning lamps, sensors, or symptoms prior to the incident and normally the front sensors start beeping when you get too close to anything! After this incident I started to do some research and found on a VW Vortex forum that this type of incident has happened to numerous owners of ID 4's. Some of the writers to the forum had the exact same incident as mine, stating they were pulling into a parking spot ready to park and the car lunged. I also found it was happening to Audi owners a sister company of VW. My greatest concern is the frequency of this incident and the company's refusal to take any responsibility which was also widely reported on line. We had owned the VW ID4 for 2.5 years and never had anything like this happened before.
When driving at low speed in a parking log, vehicle began to accelerate suddenly. Driver was able to brake to avoid collision. Seemed to be due toaccidental touch of capacitive touch RES button on left side of steering wheel, which resumed previous ACC speed. ACC had not been use for several days prior, but system remembered previous high speed and tried to resume.
Automatic parking assist and reverse braking systems exhibit severe, recurring malfunctions causing collisions and injuries. On May 24, 2025, at approx. 4:10 PM, auto-park uncommanded the vehicle to strike a mailbox in a familiar spot. Dealer dismissed incident without diagnostics. Beyond this collision, the vehicle exhibits frequent, violent, unintended braking during reverse. This occurs when: Turning body to look back: System abruptly locks brakes, causing whiplash-like neck pain to me. Dealer stated this was "normal" for "driver seating" despite explanation. Encountering minor obstacles: System misidentifies leaves/garbage bins as threats, engaging full, hard braking. This causes extreme distress and has violently thrown passengers forward. My teenager son sustained a visible bruise for one week after hitting the console during one such incident March 2024 These system malfunctions create high risk of injury to occupants and pedestrians. The unpredictable braking events are a fundamental flaw. These issues were reported to the dealer within weeks of purchase and to VW Group of America Customer Care (800‑822‑8987) after the mailbox incident. They remain unresolved."
I was driving off the freeway in my ID4 and had been driving with both B mode (Regenerative braking) and the cruise control on. I then proceeded to drive approx 4 miles, still in B mode. I pulled into a parking space at my local swim club, and as I pulled into the space I took my foot off the accelerator, and began to slow down. As I was about to break to bring the car to a complete standstill, the adaptive cruise control kicked in and launched my car forward over the small concrete bollard, through a chain-link fence and into a tree stump (roughly the length of the car again). This caused considerable damage to my vehicle, but more so I am concerned for other drivers that these two drive modes conflict with each other and cause a serious safety concern. Insurance claim has been logged with AAA.
A squirrel entered my ID.4 through the right wheel well while I was at work and it began to make a nest in the front of my engine compartment. I was alerted to the problem by all of the dashboard warning lights flashing the ACC and related front safety systems. The squirrel had chewed through the harness wires down to the connectors on the 8 and 9 connectors and the 6 pin connector. I know it was a squirrel because I saw it in the engine compartment when I opened the hood and other coworkers had nests in their hood areas. No damage to thier vehicle because the critical wires were not so carelessly exposed.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 24V651000 (STRUCTURE) and 24V344000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION, EQUIPMENT, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the dealer, the driver's and front passenger's doors became difficult to open or close. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the recall repair was performed incorrectly due to the failure. The dealer was informed of the failure, and the vehicle was taken to be diagnosed. The dealer informed the contact that parts would be ordered. The vehicle was repaired; however, the repair was not done correctly. The contact contacted another dealer to schedule an appointment and informed the contactthat parts would be ordered. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,477. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 24V651000 (STRUCTURE) and 25V120000 (POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC), 24V344000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION, EQUIPMENT, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled, with unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the dealer was unable to diagnose the vehicle. On another occasion, the vehicle started to make a grinding sound and jerked abnormally. Additionally, the contact stated that on another occasion, after shifting into reverse, the display screen turned off unintendedly. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,544. Parts distribution disconnect.
My car has experience Phantom braking 3 times. The automated braking system unexpectedly activated while I was driving out of my driveway and on to the street. There were no cars on the road when it happened. Another time it happened while I was backing out of my garage. It unexpectedly slammed the brakes. It is very scary when it happens because the body ricochets and it startles you and the car goes into park mode. The third time happened while I was driving in a crowded parking lot. I was moving like 5 miles an hour very slowly and it activated the automated braking system, there was a car behind me and I almost got rear ended. I just hope it doesn’t happen to me while I am driving on the freeway. I will be a very dangerous outcome.
As I described via various work orders to VW Centennial service since 05-15-2024 (5 service orders ago). I am seriously concerned about the sensor ability to prevent and effectively work when needed. Today, 02-26-2025 I am documenting a clear scenario where ACC failed. On Freeway 215 driving 60 MPG with ACC engaged. Traffic on the freeway came to a standstill, the ACC engaged and stopped my ID4 from 55 MPH. This is the ideal outcome. However it failed few moments later. ACC showed ready when at standstill. When traffic resumed, ID4 accelerated to commensurate with the traffic at 25mph and ACC kept on par with the car ahead which is intended with the ideal distance. 5 seconds later, cars stopped again. This is where ACC should have stopped my ID4. However it did NOT. ACC did not stop my ID4 only to find myself facing a red collision alert second later within car length away. Had to hit the brakes hard and swerve to avoid collision with the car in front. I was led into a false sense of security as ACC worked minutes prior. This is not the first time ACC failed, and based on my accounting, it only works ¾ times. Even failure to engage ¼ times this can result in a serious collision. Many times I’ve discussed with the service asking them to replicate the same issue reported here. I also gave service exact scenarios where this happened. ACC also consistently fails 100% on highway off-ramps as the sensor does not see off-ramp barriers. As such you can always find ID4 ACC accelerating into increasing elevation off-ramps. A clear example of such you is on Freeway 215 and 95 off-ramp. This is a severe safety flaw that is 100% reproducible that I’ve explained to my service department time and again.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact stated that upon shifting into reverse(R), the display screen shut off, and occasionally the screen restarted; however, the failure sporadic. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that no failure was found with the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 4,194.
After the federal safety agency 919A been applied for my VW ID4, the federal safety agency Recall ID Number 24V875 was not properly addressed. 1 week after the recall completed by Centenial VW, I still have computer crash and blackout in the main dash and infotainment systems. I've shown these photos to David Lucero at Centenial VW service and he claims it was done properly. Attached is the photos.
I was easing into a parking spot and braking when the car suddenly and uncontrollablly accelerated, leveling a light pole in front of me and finally coming to a stop on top of the light pole base
I was driving with Travel Assis on, the car steered left into the center divider then swerved right into other lanes… I was unable to regain control of steering wheel or break to deactivate travel assist for about 10 seconds, the steering wheel felt stuck in the direction that Travel Assist was steering to.
While driving using the VW Travel Assist (lane keeping) system, the vehicle was unable to "see" the lane markings and Travel Assist disconnected. When this happens the display of the lanes changes from green to gray, but there is no warning. In the case where i was traveling about 30 MPH it took less than a second for the vehicle to steer off the road. The Adaptive Cruise Control remained engaged as the Travel Assist disengaged. Considering that VW has programmed in white and red warnings plus a sound to require the driver to control steering about every 10 seconds it seems to be minor addition to trigger those warning lights and sound if the Travel Assist disengages.
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