Volkswagen ID.4 headlights problems

Filed Apr 16, 2026 · Electrical, Fuel system · MA

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.

Filed Mar 17, 2026 · Lights · CA

At 43k miles, 90F outside temps, battery SOC at 20%, charged the car at a fast charger getting 140kw. Daytime Running Lights, DRL, were on. After the charging session was over at 80%, the driver's side DRL went and stayed dim. Dealership replaced the entire headlight under warranty. At 77k miles, 94F outside temps, battery SOC at 20%, using a fast charger and getting 145kw with DRL left on. After the charging session was over at 80%, the passenger's DRL went and stayed dim. I normally turn off the DRL and forgot this one time.

Filed Mar 12, 2026 · Body, Electrical · CO

The vehicle has a recurring door handle/door lock malfunction associated with Volkswagen safety recall 57J9. Symptoms include the vehicle unlocking and immediately re-locking, auto-unlock failure, and difficulty entering the vehicle. All four door handles were previously replaced under the recall (Feb 2025), but the malfunction recurred. On 01/26/2026 I delivered the vehicle to a Volkswagen dealer for recall repair; it was fully drivable at drop-off. During the recall-related software/coding procedure, the dealer reported the procedure could not be completed because the software would not accept the currently installed headlamp modules. A manufacturer Techline case was opened (SK-1561187) and the dealer reported they were advised to replace both headlamp assemblies due to part number incompatibility. After the attempted recall procedure/diagnostics, the vehicle became not drivable and has remained at the dealer continuously for over 30 business days. The manufacturer later denied warranty coverage and closed the case unless the owner pays to replace headlamps (approx. $3,887.79) in order to complete the recall procedure. The door locking/entry malfunction and inability to complete a safety recall repair creates a safety risk (potential inability to enter/exit and vehicle immobilization after recall service). The vehicle is available for inspection at the dealer.

Filed Feb 25, 2026 · Electrical, Lights · 58,000 miles · AL

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle shut off while driving to the residence from the dealer. The vehicle was restarted and operated normally. Prior to the failure, several software updates were performed under recall. The contact was referred to an out-of-state dealer to perform the software updates. No further information was available. Recently, the contact exited the vehicle and discovered that the doors would not open and the front headlights were illuminated. The contact crawled through the hatch to open the trunk and disconnect the 12-Volt battery. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

Filed Aug 19, 2025 · Lights, Visibility · CA

I have turn signal lamps burned out on both sides of my 2021 VW ID4. When driving straight, the burnt out lights are part of daytime running lights. Half of the light is burnt out. But when you turn on your turn indicator, this light IS the turn indicator. So half my turn indicator on both sides, isn’t working. The only way to fix this where VW is concerned is to buy and install new headlight assemblies. The cost to replace both is $4300 as you must remove the bumper and other parts, install the new headlamps, put everything back together and then recalibrate everything. This is safety equipment on LED lights, something that was advertised and expected to last the lifetime of the vehicle, and it is failing only 2-4 years into ownership. There are many many people complaining about this exact failure on ID4 national websites and given this is a systematic failure of safety equipment, I feel VW should bear the entire cost of fixing it, not the consumer.

Filed Aug 18, 2025 · Electrical · GA

The front left headlight parking light went out after 24 months. This is a product quality issue which should not happen.

Filed Nov 21, 2024 · Brakes, Electrical · 3,000 miles · NV

The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to slow immediately. The contact stated that his wife was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop by pump the brake pedal. The contact stated that while his wife was depressing the brake pedal, the radio volume was not working as designed, the windows were rolling up and down independently, and the headlamps were not functioning as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 3,000.

Filed Oct 16, 2024 · Electrical, Lights · OR

Electrical- my windows do not roll up, when using the window switches the windows will go down if they are already down a little. I will have a window half down and try to roll it up and it goes down. -I have also had several occurrences of my screens becoming in responsive or not even displaying. -My doors: my doors do not open on the initial attempt to exit or enter the vehicle and my passenger handle sometimes comes off of the body. Lighting- I get popups telling me that my headlight system has a failure. Seats- it’s very common for my seat to just start the massagers or to start heating

Filed Jul 29, 2024 · Lights · WA

During a recent trip to Oregon, my Volkswagen ID.4 experienced a critical failure of both the interior and exterior lighting systems, including the headlights and emergency lights. Initially, upon returning from a walk, I found the lights were on despite the vehicle being locked and not in the "Auto" mode as I had left them. Locking and unlocking the vehicle did not resolve the issue. When I entered the vehicle, a warning light indicating a malfunction in the lighting system appeared on the dashboard, and subsequently, all lights stopped functioning entirely. This malfunction posed a significant safety risk to both myself and other road users, as the failure occurred during a time when proper lighting was essential for visibility and safety, potentially leading to a dangerous situation, especially as it was almost evening. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center at this time. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or other relevant parties, although a video recording of the incident is available for review and is attached to the report in the PDF file. Prior to the failure, there were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms indicating a potential issue. However, during the incident, a warning light for a lighting system malfunction appeared on the dashboard.

Filed May 25, 2024 · Lights · CA

Car suddenly developed a warning which read 'Warnings and information not available. Drive with greater care!'. All headlights, DRLs, and turn signals failed to illuminate. This caused a safety hazard while driving at dusk because there were no warnings regarding the lack of headlights and we didn't notice until it was too late and we were on a dark road.