Volkswagen has announced a recall affecting approximately 43,881 VW ID.4s due to a high-voltage battery defect, which could seriously lead to a fire breakout, according to the document published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The recall covers certain 2023-year-model to 2025-year-model Volkswagen ID.4 electric SUV units.
According to the automaker, the issue stems from the recalled ID.4 models that don’t have the required self-discharge detection software; this causes the battery module in them to overheat at times and may cause fire.
VW stated that a joint analysis with the battery supplier hasn’t given out the direct details of the cause of the defect, leading the automaker to believe that certain alterations at the supplier may have caused the problem of the self-discharging battery modules. Drivers of the affected vehicles may notice the electric vehicles’ range reducing and also the performance.
Volkswagen advises the affected owners of ID.4 to take them to their nearest Volkswagen dealership, and since the vehicles are under warranty, Volkswagen stated that it will work on the issue without any charges.
The fixing involves checking the battery health and applying an update to the SSD software, and if any cell in the battery needs to be replaced, they will do so.