Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 2023-2025 model year ID.4 vehicles because the high-voltage battery may overheat and cause a fire. Two companies are involved in the safety defect recall of ~44,000 vehicles. Volkswagen supplied the software (BMCe Software); SK Battery America supplied the battery cell modules. [Owners should park outside. – AutoCrat]
“Defective high-voltage battery cell modules may overheat, increasing the risk of a fire. A joint analysis with the supplier has not led to a clear root cause determination despite extensive cell module and vehicle data analysis. Nevertheless, current analysis results show that certain deviations at the supplier of the battery modules may result in self-discharge,” Volkswagen said in the required safety defect recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning.
“Customers may experience a loss of range and/or performance if the recall condition exists in the vehicle. Customers with vehicle concerns are advised to have the vehicle diagnosed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer,” Volkswagen said.
Dealers will update the high-voltage battery software, and replace the high-voltage battery, as necessary, free of charge. [as required by Federal Safety Regulations – AutoCrat] Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 20 March 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen’s number for this recall is 93EA. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on 23 January 2026.
Chronology
- In 2024 and 2025, Volkswagen learned of thermal events for which the root cause was unknown, but where upon on-site investigation by Volkswagen into the vehicle and charging apparatus the area of origin was determined to be within the HV battery. Where possible, the batteries have undergone extensive analysis at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant and the supplier’s facilities.
- In June 2025, the supplier conducted a CT analysis of the cell modules from three (3) thermal events and was unable to identify a root cause within the battery cell modules.
- In June-July 2025, after the supplier’s inconclusive CT Results, VW and the supplier investigated other potential causes/influences within the vehicle but outside of the HV battery. This investigation found no evidence of other potential causes, so the investigation refocused on the HV battery.
- After regular back and forth discussions between Volkswagen and the supplier to try to identify the cause of these events, in late September 2025, the supplier performed Tear-Down Analysis of the other damaged cell modules which revealed a “shifted” electrode condition. The supplier then compared this to the previous CT Images and was able to recognize the shifted cathode in the CT images.
- In October 2025, Volkswagen voluntarily brought the topic of these thermal incidents to ODI during its quarterly meeting and discussed that it was working with its supplier to finalize root cause, risk assessment, affected population, and countermeasures.
- In November 2025, the supplier identified the specific modules with the shifted electrode condition, and based on that, the vehicle population was identified.
- On November 26, 2025, the shifted electrode topic was presented to the Volkswagen Product Safety Committee and a recall for vehicles built with affected HV battery cell modules was decided.
- On December 3, 2025, Volkswagen filed recall 25V836 with NHTSA. On December 9, 2025, the supplier provided updated results of its investigation, which found additional HV battery cell modules that were potentially produced with shifted electrodes.
- On December 10, 2025, the new information from the supplier was presented to the Volkswagen Product Safety Committee and a recall for additional vehicles built with the additional HV battery cell modules was decided.
- On December 15, 2025, Volkswagen amended recall 25V836 with NHTSA.
- On December 16, 2025 – January 13, 2026, the supplier identified a second hardware issue from production that potentially could result in a different shifted electrode condition. This issue does not appear to relate to any known field incidents. Volkswagen and supplier discussed the findings, identified potentially affected vehicles, and undertook a risk analysis for this topic.
- On January 14, 2026, the second shifted electrode topic was presented to the Volkswagen Product Safety Committee and a recall for vehicles built with affected HV battery cell modules was decided. At this point, there appear to be thermal incidents outside the ranges identified by the supplier as potentially having a defined hardware anomaly. Despite not having a clear root cause for these incidents, there is data that indicates that self-discharge detection (“SDD”) software would have triggered a warning in advance of at least three (3) known incidents.
- On January 14, 2026, despite the lack of a clear root cause for the incidents outside of the ranges being recalled for the shifted electrode issues, out of an abundance of caution, the Volkswagen Product Safety Committee decided a recall to conduct a battery health check on all vehicles that do not currently have SDD software, and to install the updated SDD software on those vehicles. Additionally, vehicles with cell modules exhibiting improper behavior will have those affected modules replaced. Vehicle data from three (3) failures indicate that the updated software would have detected a potential self-discharge in advance, dating from May 22, June 23, and October 31, 2025. The remedy software may also have prevented other field issues, but the data is (sic) inconclusive.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Fires – Volkswagen Group of America Recalls 2023-2025 ID.4s
Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 2023-2025 model year ID.4 vehicles because the high-voltage battery may overheat and cause a fire. Two companies are involved in the safety defect recall of ~44,000 vehicles. Volkswagen supplied the software (BMCe Software); SK Battery America supplied the battery cell modules. [Owners should park outside. – AutoCrat]
“Defective high-voltage battery cell modules may overheat, increasing the risk of a fire. A joint analysis with the supplier has not led to a clear root cause determination despite extensive cell module and vehicle data analysis. Nevertheless, current analysis results show that certain deviations at the supplier of the battery modules may result in self-discharge,” Volkswagen said in the required safety defect recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning.
“Customers may experience a loss of range and/or performance if the recall condition exists in the vehicle. Customers with vehicle concerns are advised to have the vehicle diagnosed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer,” Volkswagen said.
Dealers will update the high-voltage battery software, and replace the high-voltage battery, as necessary, free of charge. [as required by Federal Safety Regulations – AutoCrat] Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 20 March 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen’s number for this recall is 93EA. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on 23 January 2026.
Chronology
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.