2025 Volkswagen ID.4 electrical problems

Filed Oct 26, 2026 · Electrical · WA

The Volkswagen ID.4 has an active recall regarding the high voltage battery. There is no remedy, instead they recommend not to charge above 80%. Essentially limiting how far I can go between charging. My particular car limited my charging to 70%, so now instead of charging on weekends, I have to charge daily or every other day, making the money I wanted to save by having an electrical vehicle non existent. I reached out to Volkswagen & they said they couldn’t buy back the vehicle even after informing them, I have small children that I drive in my car & I live on a military base. I do not feel safe having a car that could potentially catch fire with no known reason or remedy.

Filed Oct 22, 2026 · Electrical, Fuel system · CA

On Thursday, October 22, 2026, while driving about 30 mph on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, an orange warning triangle appeared on the dash and the vehicle then shut off due to an overheat. Mileage approx. 5,500. This vehicle is covered by Volkswagen Safety Recall 93EX (high-voltage battery cell modules). I believe this event is connected to that recall and request an inspection of the high-voltage battery cell modules. No crash, fire, or injury occurred.

Filed Oct 14, 2026 · Airbags, Electrical · NJ

The airbag warning light on my 2025 Volkswagen ID.4 has come on repeatedly since shortly after delivery. The authorized VW dealer has confirmed the same fault code, B101B29, on every visit. The code indicates an implausible or intermittent signal from the passenger side front crash sensor, which the airbag system uses to decide when to deploy the front airbags. First occurrence (September 2025, 322 miles): The dealer confirmed the fault code, tested the wiring, found no fault at that time, and cleared the code. No parts were replaced. Second occurrence (July 2026, about 7,250 miles): The same fault code was confirmed. The dealer tested the wiring and connectors between the airbag control module and the sensor, then replaced the passenger front crash sensor and cleared the code. Third occurrence (September 2026, about 8,300 miles): The airbag warning light returned after the sensor replacement. The vehicle has been at the dealer since September 14, 2026, and the cause and repair are still UNKNOWN. Safety risk: With this fault active, the front airbags, especially on the passenger side, may not deploy correctly in a crash, putting the driver and front passenger at risk of serious injury. Because the fault is intermittent and has recurred after the sensor was replaced, the root cause may be wiring, a connector, or the airbag control module rather than the sensor alone. The fault has been reproduced and confirmed by the authorized dealer on all three visits, and the repair orders are available. The vehicle is currently at the dealer and available for inspection on request. Whether the manufacturer has inspected the vehicle is UNKNOWN. There has been no crash and no police or insurance involvement.

Filed Sep 29, 2026 · Acceleration, Electrical · WA · crash

Incident Summary & Vehicle Behavior: I am filing this safety defect report regarding a critical sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) incident in my 2025 Volkswagen ID.4 that resulted in a crash. On September 20, 2026, after parking and preparing to get out of the vehicle, the vehicle by itself accelerated without accelerator pedal input. It ran over the concrete barrier below front axle, continued forward and hit Handicap Parking sign post. On previous occasions also the vehicle randomly experienced erratic power surges after parking. Also, previously occasionally on shifting from Park to Reverse, the vehicle independently surged backwards without accelerator pedal input. Potential Defect Mechanism: This behavior matches widespread reports from other VW ID.4 drivers involving two known potential defect causes: 1.Capacitive Touch/Haptic Controls: Overly sensitive touch controls on the steering wheel (specifically for Adaptive Cruise Control / RES function) where a light touch or hand brush during steering wheel rotation can re-engage the system's saved set speed during parking or reversing. 2.Drive-by-Wire / Software Glitch: Electronic control unit (ECU) / inverter glitches causing drive unit torque requests during gear changes or low-speed maneuvers. Crash & Safety Outcome: •Crash Occurred: Yes. •Injuries: None •Property Damage: Vehicle damage caused to the ID.4 and knocked Handicap Parking Post. •Current Vehicle Status: Vehicle is unsafe to operate and is to be evaluated by insurance/Volkswagen service. I urge the federal safety agency's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) to open an official inquiry into: •Low-speed sudden unintended acceleration and hepatic control sensitivity on the Volkswagen ID.4 platform. •Also, on shifting from Park to Reverse, the vehicle sometimes independently surges backwards without accelerator pedal input.

Filed Aug 17, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · CA · crash

The car was in neutral while in a drive through car wash. Then, when stopped and shifted to drive, the car bolted forward very suddenly and fast. Went through fence.

Filed Apr 17, 2026 · Electrical, Visibility · MN

On April 1st I had my windshield replaced due to a crack in the upper central portion of the windshield. When the glass place took the windshield off my car they found a burnt section in the headliner. The glass place reported it immediately to the Volkswagon dealership and asked the device person at the dealership to come look at the burnt headliner before they placed the glass back. The service person at the dealer did go and look at the car so the glass people finished installing the windshield but took pictures prior to installing the new glass. The dealership then reach out to me and asked to bring the car in ASAP. The car was dropped off a few days later for the service department at the dealership to look into the burnt headliner. After the dealer has had the car for 10 days VW Corp is refusing to conduct a full investigation to determine the issue of this burnt area. Concerned this car is a fire risk and unsafe due to wire issues or overheating elements around the windshield. The risk and issue is completely hidden in the car and not easily known about or identified during an event. Could put my house in jeopardy if fire starts while in my garage. Manufacture/dealership has inspected the car. Insurance is determining if they will inspect the vehicle or not. No warning lights or any indication this area was hot or hot even to burn the headliner.

Filed Apr 8, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · NC · crash

Following the recent winter update, I noticed several faults during the weekend prior to the major incident described below: ​Child Lock Malfunction: The car entered "child mode" and the rear door could not be opened from the inside or outside until I exited and re-entered the vehicle. ​Driver-Side Control Failure: The driver-side door controls stopped functioning. They only reset after I exited and re-entered the car. ​Alarm Malfunction: The alarm triggered unexpectedly while we were exiting the vehicle. ​Incident Report: 12/22/2025 While taking my daughter to Taekwondo (TKD) practice, I positioned the vehicle to back into a parking spot. I shifted into reverse, and the backup camera activated. As I always do, I checked my mirrors and the camera to ensure the path was clear. The vehicle did not provide any proximity beeps as it usually does when near an object. ​When I released the brakes, the vehicle did not move. I pressed the accelerator, and the car suddenly jumped forward, striking two parked vehicles. Thankfully, it was only a "fender bender" and no one was injured. ​Following the collision, the ID.4 screen became unresponsive for a moment, and the vehicle refused to power down when I lifted my weight from the seat. I had to get back in, close the door, fasten my seatbelt, unfasten it, and exit again before the vehicle finally turned off. I reported the incident to my insurance, and the damage to all three vehicles was covered. ​Follow-up: 12/23/2025 During a test drive the following day, I noticed the parking sensors would activate and beep as I approached intersections. This would only last a few seconds, but the screen would indicate an obstacle in front of the car when the path was clear. ​I took the vehicle to the dealer, but they were unable to replicate the faults. They reset the computer but claimed they did not have access to the specific fault codes. I took the car to a repair shop for bodywork, but it still exhibits minor software "quirks".

Filed Apr 5, 2026 · Body, Electrical · RI · fire · 3 injuries

For the second time, the car began burning and smoking from the windshield, melting parts of the car near the windshield wipers and the glass itself, and filling the car's cabin with smoke. The burning and smoking went on for 15 minutes after we safely escaped. Myself and my family, including a young child, inhaled a lot of smoke before we were able to exit the car. The car was towed to the dealer and they have so far claimed that the large, charred, burned out holes are "rock chips," which is certainly not the case. I have asked the manufacturer to come and inspect the car the first time this happened, when the car was brand new and I turned on the heated windshield for the first time and this happened, but they refused to do so. It's a known issue and there's a class action lawsuit in Canada, but the manufacturer is trying to cover it up in the US to avoid a similar suit. Reddit, Facebook groups, and other forums are filled with people who have had the same thing happen.

Filed Mar 18, 2026 · Electrical, Seats · CA

On multiple occasions the infotainment system/central control system has gone black and rebooted while driving without any prior notification or warning. The front two USB ports indicate they are producing 12.2 volts; however, as soon as anything is plugged in, they become disabled and will not work. The warning lights indicating the front passenger seat belt is not in use randomly turn on when there is no passenger present in that seat.

Filed Feb 4, 2026 · Electrical · CT · fire

On [XXX], shortly before 7:00 we parked our EV in the designated charging space at the EVgo charging station on at the EVgo charging station located at [XXX] and connected the charging cable to our 2025 Volkswagen ID.4 in the normal, intended manner, as we had done previously. We paid by credit card and watched the EVgo screen confirm proper connection and that charging had begun. We remained in the vehicle for several minutes to verify the session was proceeding normally and observed nothing unusual—no warning lights, error messages, or signs of malfunction. Only after confirming that charging appeared underway did we leave the car. We went into the Marshalls store across the parking lot. Inside the store, I monitored the charging progress through the Volkswagen mobile app, which showed the battery percentage increasing. When the battery reached approximately 23%, the charging session stopped abruptly and without explanation. I immediately went outside to check the vehicle and charger connection. When I reached the charging station, I found the ID.4 on fire, with flames visible and shooting high into the air. A police officer was already on scene and prevented anyone, including me, from approaching due to the risk of explosion, toxic smoke, or the fire spreading. Within minutes, Somerville Fire Department trucks arrived and took control. Firefighters extinguished the fire in approximately 15 minutes, smashing the windows to vent smoke and heat and then saturating the vehicle during suppression efforts, leaving it heavily damaged beyond the fire itself. The fire occurred while the vehicle was stationary, plugged into a public charging station, and engaged in normal charging. The sudden ignition during what appeared to be a routine charging session raises serious safety concerns regarding the vehicle and/or charging equipment. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)