- Volkswagen is recalling the ID.4 following five separate battery fires.
- Owners should stop fast charging and park outside after slow charging.
- The company has also issued a separate recall for incorrect wheel bolts.
Volkswagen has issued two urgent recalls over serious safety issues. The first asks ID.4 owners to park outside due to a fire risk, while the other involves wheels that can fall off.
Starting with the most serious issue, Volkswagen is recalling 311 ID.4 EVs from the 2023 and 2024 model year. They have battery cell modules with misaligned electrodes, which can cause a fire.
More: 2023 VW ID.4 Needs Battery Charging Cable Fix To Prevent Fire
Due to the dangers, owners are being advised to “park outside immediately after charging and not leave their vehicles charging indoors overnight until the recall repair is complete.” On top of that, customers are being told to stop using DC fast chargers and to limit their battery’s charge to 80%.
These precautions are necessary as an ID.4 experienced a “thermal event” while fast charging in Illinois early last year. This kicked off an investigation and the EV’s battery was shipped to Volkswagen for further analysis.
Roughly six months later, in July of 2024, another ID.4 caught on fire while parked and not charging. Shortly thereafter, another fire broke out in a parked crossover that was not charging. It was followed by yet another thermal event on December 6.
Despite numerous fires, Volkswagen and SK Battery America weren’t able to determine a root cause “due to the differing nature” of the incidents. However, they caught a break when an ID.4 caught on fire in Colorado while using a DC fast charger. An examination of its battery revealed cell modules with “shifted electrodes.”
They then went over CT scans of previous battery fires and found they also had a shifted cathode. This sparked today’s recall, which is being blamed on a “quality deviation” by SK Battery America.
All 311 vehicles are believed to be impacted and Volkswagen will replace their battery cell modules. Notifications are scheduled to go out on January 30th but, given the seriousness of the issue, ID.4 owners should proactively check to see if their vehicle is involved.
Drive It Until The Wheels Fall Off
The second recall involves 27 vehicles from the 2026 model year. They include the ID.4 as well as the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport. The crossovers may have had the incorrect wheel bolts installed during assembly, which can lead to the wheels ‘detaching’ while being driven.
That’s extremely dangerous and the vehicles have been slapped with a do not drive warning. In particular, owners are advised to “Contact your authorized Volkswagen dealer immediately for assistance in having your vehicle transported to the dealership for this recall repair, and to obtain alternate transportation while the vehicle is being inspected/repaired.”
An assembly line worker at Volkswagen’s plant in Chattanooga noticed an incorrect wheel bolt on Halloween and an immediate halt was initiated, so that vehicles could be inspected. The ensuing investigation eventually determined a “parts mixing error” by a supplier resulted in incorrect wheel bolts making their way into vehicles.
40% of the vehicles are believed to have the wrong bolts and most of them are Atlas crossovers. However, all models should be inspected by dealership techs, who will replace the wheel bolts if necessary.
