Volkswagen is recalling 35,325 ID.4 electric vehicles because their doors could open unexpectedly while driving at low speeds.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall report, the affected vehicles were built in Zwickau, Germany for the US market between December 2020 and December 2022.
The carmaker has issued the recall because the ID.4s in question may have been built with door handles that don’t meet the factory specifications for protection against water ingress. Because of this, water can get to the printed circuit board of the handles which can lead to malfunctions causing an “open command” to the door lock.
As a result, a door could open when the car is subject to high lateral forces at speeds below 9 miles per hour (15 kilometers per hour). It goes without saying that a door opening while the vehicle is moving can cause accidents and increases the risk of injury both for the passengers and the people outside who may be hit by the door.
The faulty door handles were made by Czech supplier WITTE Automotive, with the NHTSA noting in its report that “The recalled products differ from products that were not included in the recall because they contain non-affected supplier parts.”
In July 2022, Volkswagen shifted production for US-bound ID.4s to its factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee after a $800 million investment in the electrification of the aforementioned facility, which also assembles the ICE Atlas model.
In the United States, the Volkswagen ID.4 has a starting price of $38,995 for the Standard trim level which comes with a single, 201-horsepower rear electric motor, a 62-kilowatt-hour battery pack that offers an EPA estimated range of 209 miles (336 kilometers), 19-inch alloy wheels, and heated front seats.
The most expensive ID.4 comes in the form of the AWD Pro S Plus variant, which starts at $55,245 and comes with all-wheel drive, 295 hp, an 82-kWh battery, and a 255-mile (410-km) range.
A month ago, Volkswagen issued a similar recall for 16,207 ID.4 vehicles built at the Chattanooga plant in Tennessee.
