Volkswagen has just informed the NHTSA, the American federal agency in charge of road safety, of the voluntary recall of more than 16,000 IDs. 4. The doors of these vehicles were manufactured with non-compliant parts. As a result, the doors can open when the car is in motion.
While Volkswagen has just opened orders for its new ID. 3 in France, the German manufacturer is facing a worrying problem. Indeed, the brand has just informed this Thursday, April 6, 2023 the NHTSA (the American federal agency in charge of road safety) the voluntary recall of more than 16,000 ID. 4 designed in 2023.
According to the statements of the brand, due to a defect in the quality control at a supplier, non-compliant parts were delivered to the production lines of the Chattanooga plant (State of Tennessee).
The doors of the ID. 4 can open when driving
These defective components were used in the manufacture of VW electric SUV doors. Result, “the room may allow moisture to enter the electronic board integrated into the door handle”, writes Volkswagen.
Since the tightness is not guaranteed, a short-circuit may occur on the electronic board and cause accidental opening of the door while driving. Worse still, it may be impossible to open the vehicle door from the outside or inside. Enough to lead to a dramatic situation, in the event of an accident in particular.
No accidents listed… yet
Fortunately, no incidents or injuries related to this defect have been reported so far. Volkswagen will gradually notify affected owners by May 26, 2023. Each affected driver will be able to make an appointment with an authorized dealer who will carry out repairs if necessary.
Note that the first reports of these door problems began to surface as early as January 2023. It was only a month later that Volkswagen decided to report it to NHTSA. On his side, the offending supplier U-Shin LTD. began the analysis of potentially faulty parts.
Remember that this is not the first recall decreed by Volkswagen, far from it. In January 2023, the manufacturer recalled several IDs. 4 for a risk of fire, caused in particular by a fault on the 12V battery charging cable. A few weeks later, 21,000 ID. 4 are recalled due to a bug in the battery management software.
Source: Automotive News