Volkswagen is recalling 20,904 ID.4 EVs—all from the 2021 model year—to address an issue that stems from faulty drive-system control software.
In the affected vehicles, current software may cause the battery management control module to reset or the pulse inverter to deactivate, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This in turn may cause loss of power while driving.
In the case of the battery management control module software, a self-diagnosis function may be too sensitive, causing unnecessary resets, while faulty pulse inverter software may cause "incorrect evaluation of internal measurement values" leading to deactivation, according to the NHTSA. In both cases, the driver will receive a warning on the instrument cluster.
2021 Volkswagen ID.4
The affected vehicles were built between May 26, 2020, and Jan 20, 2022. All have an earlier version of the relevant software that was updated on later builds. The recall documents note reports of stalling vehicles originating in the U.S., but VW hasn't acknowledged any crashes or injuries related to the issue.
To remedy the issue, VW dealers will install updated software for both the battery management control module and pulse inverter free of charge. VW will notify owners of when to schedule appointments to have this work done, with notification letters expected to be mailed beginning March 31.
2021 Volkswagen ID.4
The ID.4 was the debut vehicle for VW's EV push in the U.S. featuring a new platform, MEB, set to underpin millions of EVs. Other vehicles destined for the U.S. based on the MEB platform include the ID.Buzz van and ID.7 sedan.
This is the first such recall for VW's MEB underpinnings, which so far have a good record—not to be confused with VW's many issues since launch with software and interface.
