Car Defect Radar
Get the report
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated October 26, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.
Confirm 11 recalls before you buy.

Ask the seller for proof the repair was completed, or run the free VIN check. Recall repairs are done at no cost by a dealer.

Recalls

11 total · 11 to confirm

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

Transmission recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 25V120000 · Feb 2025

Failure to display the gear position may result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not engaged, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will update the brake control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 14, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97H3. Audi's number for this recall is 454R.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Structure recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 24V651000 · Sep 2024

A vehicle door that opens unexpectedly while driving increases the risk of injury.

Remedy
Volkswagen dealers will inspect and replace the door handles as necessary, and update the vehicle software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 27, 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 completed.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 24V344000 · May 2024

Displays that do not show critical information, such as vehicle speed or the rearview camera image, increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 20, 2024. Owners may contact VW customer service at 1-800-893-5298. VW's number for this recall is 919A.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Structure recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 23V312000 · May 2023

A vehicle door that opens unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion increases the risk of injury.

Remedy
Dealers will update the vehicle software, and inspect the door handles as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 19, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall are 57J5 and 57J8. This recall was replaced by recall number 24V-651
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Electrical system recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 23V040000 · Feb 2023

A reset or deactivation may cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will update the HV battery management control unit and the pulse inverter control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 31, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97ZZ.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Airbags recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 22V858000 · Nov 2022

An incorrectly folded air bag may not protect the occupant as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy
Volkswagen will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 14, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number to this recall is 69EH.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Electrical system recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 22V162000 · Mar 2022

An unreliable battery connection may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will replace the battery cell modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 6, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 9302.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Steering recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 21V852000 · Nov 2021

An incorrectly assembled or missing drive bushing may cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
A dealer will replace the steering gear, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 5, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 48Q7.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Seat belts recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 21V606000 · Aug 2021

An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Seat belts recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 21V607000 · Aug 2021

An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the rear outboard seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69CQ.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Exterior lighting recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 21V413000 · Jun 2021

Adjusting the horizontal headlight beam can increase glare, reducing visibility for the driver and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will remove the caps from the vertical aim and install them on the horizontal aim, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 9406.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Owner complaints by system

332 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
39

Most reports here involve unintended acceleration. Of these, 12 mention a crash, 6 mention an injury.

unintended acceleration 12software faults 10sudden stalling 9
A recent report: In the process of parking, vehicle was stopped in the parking spot and vehicle suddenly accelerated to a high speed and crashed into a brick column. Air bags did go off. The warning sound and diagram…
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In the process of parking, vehicle was stopped in the parking spot and vehicle suddenly accelerated to a high speed and crashed into a brick column. Air bags did go off. The warning sound and diagram that indicates you may have gotten too close to the curb in front did not go off. Police were called and inspected the vehicle before it was towed.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11753759 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Worth reading
167

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 3 mention a crash, 6 mention an injury.

software faults 81sudden stalling 27
A recent report: Incident Summary VW ID.4 Loss of Power/Stall Date: Monday, September 7, 2026 Location: Highway (3-lane), traveling ~45 mph Vehicle: Volkswagen ID.4 Sequence of events: While driving at approximately…
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Incident Summary VW ID.4 Loss of Power/Stall Date: Monday, September 7, 2026 Location: Highway (3-lane), traveling ~45 mph Vehicle: Volkswagen ID.4 Sequence of events: While driving at approximately 45 mph, multiple warning messages appeared in rapid succession: ESC Error "Electrical system not working correctly" "Front Assist is not available" Error Rear Traffic Alert Error "12V power supply. Safely park the vehicle! See owner's manual." The vehicle lost accelerator power and came to a stall on the highway. Driver performed a reset/restart of the vehicle. Vehicle moved approximately 100 meters before stalling again, with the same set of error codes reappearing. Prior history: Safety concern: Loss of propulsion and multiple critical system failures (ESC, electrical, driver-assist systems, 12V supply) occurring simultaneously while in highway traffic represents a significant safety hazard — both from the stall itself and from the affected safety systems (ESC, Front Assist) being disabled.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11763357 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
34

Most reports here involve loss of braking. Of these, 10 mention a crash, 7 mention an injury.

loss of braking 9unintended acceleration 8software faults 8
A recent report: After periods of rain or driving in wet conditions, when parking on an incline, the vehicle will not release the automatic parking brake without hard physical input to the accelerator causing a loud…
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After periods of rain or driving in wet conditions, when parking on an incline, the vehicle will not release the automatic parking brake without hard physical input to the accelerator causing a loud bang from the rear axle - this has happened numerous times over the past year

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11758693 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Worth reading
25

Most reports here involve premature wear. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.

premature wear 10software faults 4
A recent report: My 2021 ID.4 has experienced two separate incidents of sudden, unintended forward acceleration while parking. In both cases, I was maneuvering at very low speeds (less than 5 mph) and transitioning…
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My 2021 ID.4 has experienced two separate incidents of sudden, unintended forward acceleration while parking. In both cases, I was maneuvering at very low speeds (less than 5 mph) and transitioning from a stopped position, or from reverse into drive, with the intention to move forward only a few inches. But instead of creeping forward as normal, the vehicle suddenly jerked forward approximately one foot. In the first of two incidents (approx. October 2025), it crashed into the car in front of me. In a second incident (3/14/2026), it crashed into an EV charging station. This is a safety concern and may be related to steering wheel capacitive touch controls, possible unintended activation of adaptive cruise control (ACC) or “resume” function, or erroneous or overly sensitive input from the steering wheel control module. No warning signs or messages appeared prior to the failure. Luckily, no one, including my young children, stood directly in front of the vehicle during either of the incidents; otherwise, they may have incurred serious bodily injury or worse. I was also luckily unharmed in both incidents. I am immediately taking the car to the dealership for a full inspection.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11734050 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Worth reading
10

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.

software faults 5airbags not deploying 3airbags deploying unexpectedly 2
A recent report: Faulty sensor under passenger seat will cause the airbags to go off while someone is in the passenger seat, buckled. Will go on and off intermittently. Alert on dash will illuminate and overhead…
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Faulty sensor under passenger seat will cause the airbags to go off while someone is in the passenger seat, buckled. Will go on and off intermittently. Alert on dash will illuminate and overhead notification of passenger airbag shutting off flashes.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11762627 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Worth reading
42

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 1 mention an injury.

software faults 7sudden stalling 1
A recent report: The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V651000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact…
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The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V651000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the infotainment system glitched and turn off intermittently and the safety information and systems were inoperable. The contact received notification a software update for the infotainment system. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts to do the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V651000 (Structure) was not yet available. The dealer also informed the contact that the software update would be performed over the air. No repair was performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the issues and referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11751550 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Minor
15

Most reports here involve electrical shorts.

electrical shorts 1smoke 1
A recent report: Constant recalls on this vehicle. Vw unwilling to work w us on taking back the vehicle. Issues prior to 50,000 mile mark but they say we didn’t file a complain early enough. Outstanding recalls

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11625789 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 332 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2021 and 2026, roughly 63 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.

How does it compare with other years? The 2021 has 332 complaints on file, more than the 2022 (135). Of the 5 model years of the Volkswagen ID.4 we cover, the 2023 has the most (454). Older model years have had longer to collect complaints.