Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2024 ID.4 vehicles. The door handles may allow water to enter the circuit board assembly, which can cause the doors to open unexpectedly. This is according to documents made public today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which had been investigating the safety defect on ~100,000 ID.4’s. The recall population was determined by production records starting from Start of Production of the ID.4 for the U.S. market in the Zwickau (Germany) and the Chattanooga (U.S.) production plant until the current end of Production in both plants for the U.S. market. The part came from U-Shin Mexico.
The affected vehicles may have been built with door handles that do not meet the factory specifications for protection against water ingress. Water ingress into the printed circuit board can lead to malfunctions causing an “open command” – signaling an open command by the door handle when the handle is not being activated by a person. An open door on a moving vehicle puts occupants at risk of injury, and can cause damage to objects and people who may be outside of the vehicle. If the recall problem is present in the vehicle, occupants may notice an audible clicking noise , similar to the sound of a vehicle door being locked/unlocked by the key fob. The planned recall remedy and series production countermeasures are still under development. It is not corrected yet in production.
Volkswagen dealers will inspect and replace the door handles as necessary, and update the vehicle software, free of charge as required by U.S. Safety regulations.. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 1 November 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen’s customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen’s number for this recall is 57J9. This recall expands previous recall numbers 23V-312 and 23V-213. Vehicles previously repaired under 23V-312 and 23V-213 will need to have the new remedy for the safety defect completed.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov. about NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V-651
Chronology
- February 2024: Volkswagen became aware of complaints about door handle parts produced after countermeasures were implemented by suppliers.
- March – June 2024: Supplier analysis confirmed water ingress and corrosion at the door handle electronics. Investigation into the root cause and potential countermeasures against water ingress commenced.
- End of March 2024: NHTSA requested information associated with VOQs and data related to the recall completion rates of recalls 23V-312 and 23V-213.
- April 29, 2024: Volkswagen met with NHTSA to discuss recalls 23V-312 and 23V-213.
- May 16, 2024: NHTSA opened a recall query on the effectiveness of the recalls 23V-312 and 23V-213.
- June 14, 2024: Supplier Witte (U-Shin Mexico) confirmed under extreme test conditions partial detachment and reattachment of the membrane could be observed.
- June – August: Further evaluation of test results and field situation.
- August 28, 2024: The topic was presented at the Volkswagen Product Safety Committee and a recall for the entire ID.4 population was decided out of an abundance of caution.
- Volkswagen is not aware of any crashes or injuries as a result of this issue. Volkswagen is aware of 135 warranty claims dating from June 2023 to May 2024.
Volkswagen Group Recalls 2021-2024 ID.4 Models
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2024 ID.4 vehicles. The door handles may allow water to enter the circuit board assembly, which can cause the doors to open unexpectedly. This is according to documents made public today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which had been investigating the safety defect on ~100,000 ID.4’s. The recall population was determined by production records starting from Start of Production of the ID.4 for the U.S. market in the Zwickau (Germany) and the Chattanooga (U.S.) production plant until the current end of Production in both plants for the U.S. market. The part came from U-Shin Mexico.
The affected vehicles may have been built with door handles that do not meet the factory specifications for protection against water ingress. Water ingress into the printed circuit board can lead to malfunctions causing an “open command” – signaling an open command by the door handle when the handle is not being activated by a person. An open door on a moving vehicle puts occupants at risk of injury, and can cause damage to objects and people who may be outside of the vehicle. If the recall problem is present in the vehicle, occupants may notice an audible clicking noise , similar to the sound of a vehicle door being locked/unlocked by the key fob. The planned recall remedy and series production countermeasures are still under development. It is not corrected yet in production.
Volkswagen dealers will inspect and replace the door handles as necessary, and update the vehicle software, free of charge as required by U.S. Safety regulations.. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 1 November 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen’s customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen’s number for this recall is 57J9. This recall expands previous recall numbers 23V-312 and 23V-213. Vehicles previously repaired under 23V-312 and 23V-213 will need to have the new remedy for the safety defect completed.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov. about NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V-651
Chronology