Volkswagen is recalling 98,806 of its ID.4 electric vehicles due to defective door handles that could cause doors to open unexpectedly.
The recall includes 2021-2024 models assembled in both Zwickau, Germany, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The recalled vehicles may have door handles that can't effectively keep out water. VW believes less than 1% of the affected vehicles have the defect, however.
2024 Volkswagen ID.4
In vehicles that do have the defect, water could enter the door handle and reach a printed circuit board, which could cause "communication issues" between the handle and the door control unit, leading to an erroneous command to unlock the door, according to recall documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). If this happens, the driver may notice a clicking noise similar to the sound made when the door is unlocked normally.
VW is aware of 135 warranty claims from June 2023 to May 2024 related to this issue, but is not aware of any crashes or injuries.
Dealers will inspect the door handles and, if necessary, replace them with improved versions, free of charge. Vehicles will also get a software update, and VW will reimburse customers for any work they might have paid for themselves related to this issue. This recall expands two previous ones. Customers who had recall work performed under either of those will have to bring their cars to dealerships for this recall as well.
2024 Volkswagen ID.4
VW plans to mail owner notification letters by Nov. 1, 2024. Owners can contact the automaker's customer service department at 1-800-893-5298 for more information.
This recall follows one earlier this year of nearly 80,000 ID.4 EVs from model years 2021 to 2023 for screen issues and software problems. That recall did not include 2024 ID.4 models, which received a handful of updates, including a larger available screen that seemed to purge many of the issues Green Car Reports found with the interface in earlier models.
