2025 Volkswagen ID.4 problems

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The car was in neutral while in a drive through car wash. Then, when stopped and shifted to drive, the car bolted forward very suddenly and fast. Went through fence.

NHTSA complaint #11757476 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The car was in neutral while in a drive through car wash. Then, when stopped and shifted to drive, the car bolted forward very suddenly and fast. Went through fence.

NHTSA complaint #11757476 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The car was in neutral while in a drive through car wash. Then, when stopped and shifted to drive, the car bolted forward very suddenly and fast. Went through fence.

NHTSA complaint #11757476 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

On 6/29/2026, While engaging the brakes on my leased ID.4, I was slowing down approaching another car, and suddenly the vehicle surged forward with full acceleration. It then suddenly re-engaged the brakes just before the vehicle in front of me. On 7/1/2026, I was stopped in traffic near Englewood City Center on I-285. Then with brakes engaged the ID.4 surged forward twice (2x's) striking the late model Chevy pickup in front of me both times. This resulted in a four (4) car chain reaction accident. To date, no one has claimed injuries, but the Chevy pickup was damaged. I received a summons to appear in court. Case yet to be adjudicated. On 7/2/2026, while taking the ID.4 to the dealership where I lease it to look into the problem of the previous two (2) days; the ID.4 again accelerated while slowing down at a stop light. This time no one was in front of me. At the dealership the service people have been unable to locate the issue nor have they been able to replicate it. I have left the vehicle with the dealer because of the dire safety issue this failure poses. Now, they say it is a Volkswagen (company) issue, and they have opened a case. They instructed me to contact Volkswagen USA. To date, I have not had any results from Volkswagen USA, the ID.4 is still a safety issue, I have a court date with no evidence of vehicle malfunction, and now the dealership is telling me that I have to come and remove the ID.4 from there premises. I have sent four (4) letters to dealership and to Volkswagen, and agreed to continue paying on my Lease until a definitive solution is found. On further investigation, there are numerous similar cases of the same/similar issues with 2025 and 2024 ID.4's. There are lawsuits and deaths from similar failures, but no one from Volkswagen mentions this. Until the issue is solved I do not feel this vehicle should be driven for my personal safety and for the safety of the public at large.

NHTSA complaint #11753066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

On 6/29/2026, While engaging the brakes on my leased ID.4, I was slowing down approaching another car, and suddenly the vehicle surged forward with full acceleration. It then suddenly re-engaged the brakes just before the vehicle in front of me. On 7/1/2026, I was stopped in traffic near Englewood City Center on I-285. Then with brakes engaged the ID.4 surged forward twice (2x's) striking the late model Chevy pickup in front of me both times. This resulted in a four (4) car chain reaction accident. To date, no one has claimed injuries, but the Chevy pickup was damaged. I received a summons to appear in court. Case yet to be adjudicated. On 7/2/2026, while taking the ID.4 to the dealership where I lease it to look into the problem of the previous two (2) days; the ID.4 again accelerated while slowing down at a stop light. This time no one was in front of me. At the dealership the service people have been unable to locate the issue nor have they been able to replicate it. I have left the vehicle with the dealer because of the dire safety issue this failure poses. Now, they say it is a Volkswagen (company) issue, and they have opened a case. They instructed me to contact Volkswagen USA. To date, I have not had any results from Volkswagen USA, the ID.4 is still a safety issue, I have a court date with no evidence of vehicle malfunction, and now the dealership is telling me that I have to come and remove the ID.4 from there premises. I have sent four (4) letters to dealership and to Volkswagen, and agreed to continue paying on my Lease until a definitive solution is found. On further investigation, there are numerous similar cases of the same/similar issues with 2025 and 2024 ID.4's. There are lawsuits and deaths from similar failures, but no one from Volkswagen mentions this. Until the issue is solved I do not feel this vehicle should be driven for my personal safety and for the safety of the public at large.

NHTSA complaint #11753066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I was trying to park the car in a parking spot. There was a curb to my right, So I was turning carefully to not rake my wheel against the curb. The car suddenly accelerated by itself, jumped the curb infront, hit a tree and stopped. It accelerated so much and hit the curb so hard, that the entire front right side was destroyed.

NHTSA complaint #11749746 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Following the recent winter update, I noticed several faults during the weekend prior to the major incident described below: ​Child Lock Malfunction: The car entered "child mode" and the rear door could not be opened from the inside or outside until I exited and re-entered the vehicle. ​Driver-Side Control Failure: The driver-side door controls stopped functioning. They only reset after I exited and re-entered the car. ​Alarm Malfunction: The alarm triggered unexpectedly while we were exiting the vehicle. ​Incident Report: 12/22/2025 While taking my daughter to Taekwondo (TKD) practice, I positioned the vehicle to back into a parking spot. I shifted into reverse, and the backup camera activated. As I always do, I checked my mirrors and the camera to ensure the path was clear. The vehicle did not provide any proximity beeps as it usually does when near an object. ​When I released the brakes, the vehicle did not move. I pressed the accelerator, and the car suddenly jumped forward, striking two parked vehicles. Thankfully, it was only a "fender bender" and no one was injured. ​Following the collision, the ID.4 screen became unresponsive for a moment, and the vehicle refused to power down when I lifted my weight from the seat. I had to get back in, close the door, fasten my seatbelt, unfasten it, and exit again before the vehicle finally turned off. I reported the incident to my insurance, and the damage to all three vehicles was covered. ​Follow-up: 12/23/2025 During a test drive the following day, I noticed the parking sensors would activate and beep as I approached intersections. This would only last a few seconds, but the screen would indicate an obstacle in front of the car when the path was clear. ​I took the vehicle to the dealer, but they were unable to replicate the faults. They reset the computer but claimed they did not have access to the specific fault codes. I took the car to a repair shop for bodywork, but it still exhibits minor software "quirks".

NHTSA complaint #11730071 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Following the recent winter update, I noticed several faults during the weekend prior to the major incident described below: ​Child Lock Malfunction: The car entered "child mode" and the rear door could not be opened from the inside or outside until I exited and re-entered the vehicle. ​Driver-Side Control Failure: The driver-side door controls stopped functioning. They only reset after I exited and re-entered the car. ​Alarm Malfunction: The alarm triggered unexpectedly while we were exiting the vehicle. ​Incident Report: 12/22/2025 While taking my daughter to Taekwondo (TKD) practice, I positioned the vehicle to back into a parking spot. I shifted into reverse, and the backup camera activated. As I always do, I checked my mirrors and the camera to ensure the path was clear. The vehicle did not provide any proximity beeps as it usually does when near an object. ​When I released the brakes, the vehicle did not move. I pressed the accelerator, and the car suddenly jumped forward, striking two parked vehicles. Thankfully, it was only a "fender bender" and no one was injured. ​Following the collision, the ID.4 screen became unresponsive for a moment, and the vehicle refused to power down when I lifted my weight from the seat. I had to get back in, close the door, fasten my seatbelt, unfasten it, and exit again before the vehicle finally turned off. I reported the incident to my insurance, and the damage to all three vehicles was covered. ​Follow-up: 12/23/2025 During a test drive the following day, I noticed the parking sensors would activate and beep as I approached intersections. This would only last a few seconds, but the screen would indicate an obstacle in front of the car when the path was clear. ​I took the vehicle to the dealer, but they were unable to replicate the faults. They reset the computer but claimed they did not have access to the specific fault codes. I took the car to a repair shop for bodywork, but it still exhibits minor software "quirks".

NHTSA complaint #11730071 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

Following the recent winter update, I noticed several faults during the weekend prior to the major incident described below: ​Child Lock Malfunction: The car entered "child mode" and the rear door could not be opened from the inside or outside until I exited and re-entered the vehicle. ​Driver-Side Control Failure: The driver-side door controls stopped functioning. They only reset after I exited and re-entered the car. ​Alarm Malfunction: The alarm triggered unexpectedly while we were exiting the vehicle. ​Incident Report: 12/22/2025 While taking my daughter to Taekwondo (TKD) practice, I positioned the vehicle to back into a parking spot. I shifted into reverse, and the backup camera activated. As I always do, I checked my mirrors and the camera to ensure the path was clear. The vehicle did not provide any proximity beeps as it usually does when near an object. ​When I released the brakes, the vehicle did not move. I pressed the accelerator, and the car suddenly jumped forward, striking two parked vehicles. Thankfully, it was only a "fender bender" and no one was injured. ​Following the collision, the ID.4 screen became unresponsive for a moment, and the vehicle refused to power down when I lifted my weight from the seat. I had to get back in, close the door, fasten my seatbelt, unfasten it, and exit again before the vehicle finally turned off. I reported the incident to my insurance, and the damage to all three vehicles was covered. ​Follow-up: 12/23/2025 During a test drive the following day, I noticed the parking sensors would activate and beep as I approached intersections. This would only last a few seconds, but the screen would indicate an obstacle in front of the car when the path was clear. ​I took the vehicle to the dealer, but they were unable to replicate the faults. They reset the computer but claimed they did not have access to the specific fault codes. I took the car to a repair shop for bodywork, but it still exhibits minor software "quirks".

NHTSA complaint #11730071 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

For the second time, the car began burning and smoking from the windshield, melting parts of the car near the windshield wipers and the glass itself, and filling the car's cabin with smoke. The burning and smoking went on for 15 minutes after we safely escaped. Myself and my family, including a young child, inhaled a lot of smoke before we were able to exit the car. The car was towed to the dealer and they have so far claimed that the large, charred, burned out holes are "rock chips," which is certainly not the case. I have asked the manufacturer to come and inspect the car the first time this happened, when the car was brand new and I turned on the heated windshield for the first time and this happened, but they refused to do so. It's a known issue and there's a class action lawsuit in Canada, but the manufacturer is trying to cover it up in the US to avoid a similar suit. Reddit, Facebook groups, and other forums are filled with people who have had the same thing happen.

NHTSA complaint #11729245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

For the second time, the car began burning and smoking from the windshield, melting parts of the car near the windshield wipers and the glass itself, and filling the car's cabin with smoke. The burning and smoking went on for 15 minutes after we safely escaped. Myself and my family, including a young child, inhaled a lot of smoke before we were able to exit the car. The car was towed to the dealer and they have so far claimed that the large, charred, burned out holes are "rock chips," which is certainly not the case. I have asked the manufacturer to come and inspect the car the first time this happened, when the car was brand new and I turned on the heated windshield for the first time and this happened, but they refused to do so. It's a known issue and there's a class action lawsuit in Canada, but the manufacturer is trying to cover it up in the US to avoid a similar suit. Reddit, Facebook groups, and other forums are filled with people who have had the same thing happen.

NHTSA complaint #11729245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

For the second time, the car began burning and smoking from the windshield, melting parts of the car near the windshield wipers and the glass itself, and filling the car's cabin with smoke. The burning and smoking went on for 15 minutes after we safely escaped. Myself and my family, including a young child, inhaled a lot of smoke before we were able to exit the car. The car was towed to the dealer and they have so far claimed that the large, charred, burned out holes are "rock chips," which is certainly not the case. I have asked the manufacturer to come and inspect the car the first time this happened, when the car was brand new and I turned on the heated windshield for the first time and this happened, but they refused to do so. It's a known issue and there's a class action lawsuit in Canada, but the manufacturer is trying to cover it up in the US to avoid a similar suit. Reddit, Facebook groups, and other forums are filled with people who have had the same thing happen.

NHTSA complaint #11729245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On [XXX], shortly before 7:00 we parked our EV in the designated charging space at the EVgo charging station on at the EVgo charging station located at [XXX] and connected the charging cable to our 2025 Volkswagen ID.4 in the normal, intended manner, as we had done previously. We paid by credit card and watched the EVgo screen confirm proper connection and that charging had begun. We remained in the vehicle for several minutes to verify the session was proceeding normally and observed nothing unusual—no warning lights, error messages, or signs of malfunction. Only after confirming that charging appeared underway did we leave the car. We went into the Marshalls store across the parking lot. Inside the store, I monitored the charging progress through the Volkswagen mobile app, which showed the battery percentage increasing. When the battery reached approximately 23%, the charging session stopped abruptly and without explanation. I immediately went outside to check the vehicle and charger connection. When I reached the charging station, I found the ID.4 on fire, with flames visible and shooting high into the air. A police officer was already on scene and prevented anyone, including me, from approaching due to the risk of explosion, toxic smoke, or the fire spreading. Within minutes, Somerville Fire Department trucks arrived and took control. Firefighters extinguished the fire in approximately 15 minutes, smashing the windows to vent smoke and heat and then saturating the vehicle during suppression efforts, leaving it heavily damaged beyond the fire itself. The fire occurred while the vehicle was stationary, plugged into a public charging station, and engaged in normal charging. The sudden ignition during what appeared to be a routine charging session raises serious safety concerns regarding the vehicle and/or charging equipment. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11715506 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

On 6/20/25, while pulling into a parking space at very slow speed, the car suddenly, without my control, violently accellerated. This could have resulted in pesonal injury or death. The car was stopped by crashing into two, nearby parked cars. The dealer's collision shop repaired the car at a cost of approximately $17,000. They did not provide an explanation of the possible cause. There were no warning signs of an issue prior to the event.

NHTSA complaint #11715309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

On 6/20/25, while pulling into a parking space at very slow speed, the car suddenly, without my control, violently accellerated. This could have resulted in pesonal injury or death. The car was stopped by crashing into two, nearby parked cars. The dealer's collision shop repaired the car at a cost of approximately $17,000. They did not provide an explanation of the possible cause. There were no warning signs of an issue prior to the event.

NHTSA complaint #11715309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

On 6/20/25, while pulling into a parking space at very slow speed, the car suddenly, without my control, violently accellerated. This could have resulted in pesonal injury or death. The car was stopped by crashing into two, nearby parked cars. The dealer's collision shop repaired the car at a cost of approximately $17,000. They did not provide an explanation of the possible cause. There were no warning signs of an issue prior to the event.

NHTSA complaint #11715309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

I turned on the defroster for the front windshield for the first time on this new vehicle. I had it on for a few minutes to defrost ice from the windshield. Immediately after turning it off, I heard a loud cracking noise. The bottom of the windshield cracked violently at the bottom near the heating element, and some of the glass also heated up so much or sparked that it melted some elements of the car near there. The large cracks are spreading and are obscuring my vision while driving. I am also afraid to turn back on the defroster, despite needing it in the snow this week, fearing that the windshield will crack further or melt/catch fire again. I've read online that this is happening to others with the higher trims that include the heated windshield. The sudden cracks are appearing in the same place in others' cars after they use the defroster. There is now a class-action lawsuit against Volkswagen for this very issue in Canada. The dealer says that there must have been an existing chip in the windshield and that I am responsible, but that was absolutely not the case. And even so, the car shouldn't be melting or catching fire regardless!

NHTSA complaint #11714684 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.