Sudden acceleration while parking in my garage. Very low speed,then sudden “explosive “ acceleration smashing the front end and garage contents
- NHTSA ID
- 11752981
- Incident
- Jul 24, 2026
Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 153 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 153, in the owner's own words
Sudden acceleration while parking in my garage. Very low speed,then sudden “explosive “ acceleration smashing the front end and garage contents
My 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD (approximately 40,000 miles) has a persistent GPS navigation system failure where the vehicle displays an incorrect location. This is a safety concern as the navigation system cannot be relied upon for accurate directions or location awareness. The following repair attempts have been made at the dealership: - TSB 91-24-05 was performed and was unsuccessful - The OCU (Onboard Communication Unit) was fully replaced and was unsuccessful - A VTA (Volkswagen Technical Assistance) case was opened VW Customer Care, Car-Net, and two separate dealerships have been unable to resolve this issue. I was told by multiple VW representatives that there is currently no available fix and that Car-Net will contact me when a resolution is available — which has not happened despite months of waiting. I am currently within my 4 year/50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. Volkswagen has been unable to fulfill their warranty obligation to repair this known defect. This GPS failure affects safe navigation and represents a safety concern for the driver."
7/14/26 my wife attempted to park our 2023 VW ID.4 Pro S AWD. She pulled into the spot with two hands on the steering wheel, her foot off of the accelerator, with the car being slowed by regenerative braking, and the car suddenly accelerated and crashed through a fence and hit a cement barrier. The air bags did not deploy. After the accident that most likely totaled the car, my wife's foot was on the brake. The two challenges we noted were 1. The car should have not accelerated on its own and 2. The air bags should have deployed given the violence of this crash.
1. My tires are half recommended pressure on ALL tires yet yet the automatic monitoring system does not record any abnormality. This is a dangerous system because it tells me everything is ok when it is not. This is on all four tires. 2. When backing up with a trailer the car slams on the brakes as it thinks someone is there and you can’t always turn it off. There is an X you hit to turn off but if you forget…. Sometimes the X doesn’t appear and you have to shift forward then reverse then forward then reverse to get the X to appear and so you can back up without brakes slamming on. Hard to use bike rack because of this.
I am reporting a potential safety-related defect in my 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 AWD Pro involving GPS location, SOS/Car-Net/connected services, and driver-assistance availability. The vehicle has repeatedly shown an incorrect GPS location. Authorized VW dealers documented related SOS/connected-services concerns, including “no green light,” “no satellites seen,” an open TAC/Techline case, and no completed verified repair. On a later visit, the dealer documented that there was still no Techline update and no fault codes present for this issue. I have been advised to wait for Volkswagen/Techline/Connected Services because the issue may require a future software, backend, or OTA update. However, the vehicle remains unrepaired while the GPS/SOS/connected-services condition continues. The absence of fault codes may mean the vehicle is not recording a conventional hardware diagnostic trouble code, but the problem is still present. My concern is not merely an infotainment inconvenience. The issue may affect the vehicle’s ability to determine or report its location, the status of SOS/connected services, and the availability of Travel Assist/adaptive cruise-related functions. I did not activate the SOS emergency button as a test because I did not want to initiate a false emergency call. I cannot determine whether this is caused by hardware, software, backend systems, module firmware, or a combination of factors. I also cannot determine whether other vehicles are affected. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can review whether this GPS/SOS/connected-services condition warrants further safety review.
I was parked in front of my townhouse I have a witness who saw me at a stop. Next thing I know car accelerates and hits my townhouse. I did not accelerate I was not speeding and I have a witness who saw me stopped
Pulled into a parking space with foot on the brake and accelerator pedal. The vehicle sped forward, pushing a car parked in front of me into the driveway, just missing another vehicle
While driving very slow in a subdivision to enter a driveway my car suddenly accelerated and the peal went down. I steered to the right to avoid hitting the garage door and the car crashed against the wall at the side of the garage door. The distance between the curve and the house in very short. The friend I was visiting was by the door and the neighbor right in front of the house witnessed all. My wife was in the passenger side. By coincidence the lady across the street that saw the incident came running towards us point at the car and screaming :"those cars have a sensor problem". I made the claim to insurance and open a case with VW USA. VW USA sent a technician to the shop and concluded that the pedal was pushed all the way down and therefore it was my fault. My take is it was the adaptive cruise control that was triggered the cruise control (which by the way I NEVER USE) when I was turning right to enter the driveway at very low speed. There was no lights indicating malfunction prior to the incident. I was very concerned that I could have hit either my friend or any other person near the house. When I came back home I googled by "VW ID.4 sudden acceleration" and saw many many incidents with ID.4 and other models using adaptative cruise control.
Gps module is non functioning after software update 3.8.11 Gps module consistently shows wrong location and speed in addition to constantly pinging the driver visually and audibly which distracts the driver and covers the main display with a message that it is unavailable. It also affects the semi autonomous driving function, making it randomly brake and behave erratically because it doesng know where it is. This will cause an accident. Consistently showing hundreds of miles off and has been reported by other users as being an issue VW is aware of but refuses to address.
While entering a parking lot at a low speed, with my foot already firmly applied to the brake due to the close proximity of a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own unexpectedly. Despite continuous pressure on the brake pedal, the vehicle proceeded forward, struck another parked vehicle, and continued moving for approximately two additional seconds before coming to a stop on its own. Additionally, no forward collision/crash warning alert was activated prior to impact, and the airbags did not deploy during the collision.
On the day of the incident, I was driving my vehicle at a very low speed while approaching a red traffic light. I applied the brakes normally behind another vehicle that was already stopped. It should be noted that it had rained earlier and the road surface was wet. After stopping, the vehicle’s “Auto Hold” or automatic brake hold system activated properly, as it normally does when the vehicle comes to a complete stop. However, unexpectedly, the vehicle accelerated on its own. I immediately attempted to apply the brakes in order to avoid a collision, but I was unable to stop the vehicle in time, resulting in a minor impact with the vehicle in front of me. I believe there may have been a mechanical or electronic malfunction related to the vehicle’s acceleration, braking, or automatic assistance system. I cannot identify with certainty the exact component that failed; therefore, the specific cause is UNKNOWN at this time. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request. The situation placed both my safety and the safety of the other driver at risk, as the vehicle moved unexpectedly despite previously being stopped with the brake hold system engaged. At this time, the issue has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealership or independent repair shop. I am also not aware of any technical inspection performed by the manufacturer. However, the incident was reported to the appropriate insurance company. Before the incident, I did not observe any warning lights, dashboard messages, or obvious signs of a mechanical or electronic problem. The sudden acceleration occurred unexpectedly and without prior warning. The collision was minor. The airbags did not deploy, and neither I nor the other driver suffered physical injuries. However, both vehicles sustained property damage, especially my vehicle, which suffered visible front-end damage because several exterior components are made of low-resistance plastic material.
When I was backing from a parking space, another car drove behind mine and the car's maneuvering braking kicked in and decelerated the vehicle. When I stepped on the brake, the car then accelerated backwards and caused me to collide with the crossing vehicle.
UNKNOWN -- I was turning 90 deg from the street into my 30' driveway, going very slow as usual with foot on brake pedal to slow further before entering the garage (the door had just finished lifting). But as I was straightening the steering coming out of turn, the car suddenly accelerated, brakes and steering both were unresponsive and the car smashed into the garage. Slowed further by the impact, the car caromed into the garage stairs smashing them to pieces before coming to rest against the rear garage wall after I hit the OFF button (it's an EV). There was no alert from the onboard systems of a pending crash and the air bags did NOT deploy. I was uninjured. Posting my accident on a social media owners group, other owners have had similar experience of the electronics going out while driving. The car remains at a 45 deg angle inside the garage now 6 days later awaiting the insurance company to come and extricate it for their assessment of the damage to the car.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V344000 (Back Prevention, Equipment, Electrical System); and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the recall repair was performed; however, the vehicle failed to start and became inoperable after the repair. The dealer determined that the emergency call module needed to be replaced but at the vehicle owner’s expense. The contact declined to pay for the repair and contacted the manufacturer, who referred the contact to another dealer for a second opinion. The vehicle remained with the first dealer because the vehicle was undrivable, and because the second dealer was 2 hours away. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer offered no help in covering the cost of the repair. The contact stated that the recall repair had failed to prevent the failure and caused the vehicle to become inoperable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The driver of my vehicle stated that my car suddenly lurched forward striking a cross passing vehicle. He did not accelerate and the emergency brake system failed to engage in advance of an obvious and avoidable crash.
1. The car accelerates erratically when it is charged to 90 to 100%. This just plain dangerous. 2. The battery is charging to 100% when it set to charge to 80%. I learned that there is a recall for this vehicle due to the battery overheating and possibly catching on fire. However as of yesterday, there are neither diagnostics available to show whether the recall actually applies to my car, nor is their a repair available. Given the nature of the recall, this puts me in the untenable situation of not trusting my car battery - to not overheat and to not catch fire. I brought the car into VW Glenwood Springs and asked them to diagnose the problems. VW Glenwood neither charged the car to 100% nor did they drive it other than around the block. Therefore they did not experience the problem - and of course could not give me any answers. They said that car is safe to drive! I can attest that this car is not safe to drive.
Request for Investigation: Volkswagen is intentionally ignoring a widespread GPS/SOS module failure and leaving thousands of battery fire hazards on the road, while its dealers exploit safety service visits to extort customers. I urge the NHTSA to launch a formal investigation into VW’s failure to recall the defective GPS modules and their systemic practice of offering cash settlements to suppress safety defect reporting. Thank you for your attention to this urgent public safety matter. I stand ready to provide all supporting documentation, including the dealer’s fraudulent invoice and VW’s settlement communications, upon your request. I respectfully urge the NHTSA to act swiftly and decisively to prevent another corporate cover-up like Dieselgate, and before these unaddressed safety defects result in a fatal tragedy—as we recently saw with Hyundai's delayed recall following a child's death.
The instrument panel in my car went completely dark, leaving me without any knowledge of my speed. This is a massive safety risk. I am taking it to the dealership tomorrow, but there are no issues that came up when this failed, it just failed to boot correctly, and nothing I could do would bring it back.
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently accelerated. In addition, a message to take the vehicle to the dealer was displayed. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the vehicle was charged to 90–100 percent. The contact stated that the vehicle did not drive safely and did not charge properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle had not yet been inspected. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V030000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.
My 2023 VW ID4 has experienced multiple system failures/malfunctions (e.g., display, backup camera, climate controls, & speedometer failed) beginning in late November 2025. The following is a summary & an approximate timeline: Nov 4, 2025: “OUE7 – Software Update” email; dealer unable to complete (OTA update). Nov 7 & Nov 21, 2025: Weatherstrip repairs; maintenance inspections performed. Nov 30, 2025: Doors randomly unlocked; front, passenger door failed to latch; intermittent door popper issue. Door handles were previously replaced on Apr 2, 2025. Dec 14, 2025: Incorrect dynamic road signs/speed limits; vehicle mis‑positioned on maps; warnings: 1. “No data is available” 2. “Dynamic road sign display unavailable.” Dec 22, 2025: Major failures documented in photographs below: 1. Speedometer incorrect/no speed. 2. Brake/auto‑hold intermittent malfunction. 3. Multifunction display froze. 4. Defrost/climate controls unresponsive. 5. Backup camera failure. Dec 22, 2025 – Jan 15, 2026: Vehicle at dealer for ~24 days; dealer unable to replicate issues above. Dealer documented CarNet/connected vehicle issues. VW requested switching CarNet carriers (from Verizon to T‑Mobile), not possible for 2023 ID4. Jan 14–15, 2026: Dealer stated “safe to drive”; vehicle picked up. Dealer said VW would contact once they have a resolution for the CarNet. Jan 17, 2026: Same failures (display, backup camera, etc.) above reoccurred; documented by service advisor/manager. Jan 27, 2026: Notifications of open recalls: High‑voltage battery fire risk (NHTSA Recall IDs 26V028, 26V030). Jan 17 – Jan 30, 2026: Vehicle at dealer additional ~13 days; 5F modules replaced. CarNet issues & recalls still unresolved. OUE7 update still appears to be incomplete. Jan 30, 2026: Dealer stated “safe to drive” again; vehicle picked up. Today, the CarNet app / connected vehicle issues & open recall remain unresolved. Continues to show doors open, windows down, & incorrect charge, location, & mileage.
Date/Time of Incident: 1/29/36 at approximately 5:44 PM Location: Small school parking lot Vehicle: 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 On 1/29/36 at approximately 5:44 PM, I was pulling out of a parking space at low speed in a small school parking lot in my 2023 Volkswagen ID.4. As I began to move, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own, the steering would not turn left, and the car did not respond to braking, moving at an abnormal rate of speed over a very short distance. Prior to this, there had been no warning messages or alerts, except a routine notification to service the car in 1,000 miles. The collision involved three vehicles: my VW, the main car I hit, and a rental car. My car spun and veered sideways, the parked SUV on the right was pushed sideways, forming a rough “H” pattern, and the rental car went up onto a rail ramp where children walk. My grandson observed the car’s tires spinning at impact, and he hit the seat behind me. Without the parked cars, the vehicle would have continued directly toward the school building, creating a very serious risk of fatal injuries to parents, staff, and children. Injuries: Myself — pain and emotional trauma; grandson — soft cast on foot/leg, crutches, pain; his mother — pain. The vehicle is awaiting Volkswagen guidance for inspection. Likely involved systems include Speed Control, Fuel/Propulsion System, and Electrical, but the exact cause is UNKNOWN. The incident has been reported to State Farm (claim #0596B819B), Volkswagen (Case #07294060), and police.
My wife was involved in an accident where the car (2023 VW ID4) drove itself and crashed into six parked cars while she was attempting to apply the brakes and had no control of the steering (it drove itself). I had the insurance carrier pull down the EDR data (attached) and I have attached the Police Accident Report (attached) for your review. Thankfully, no one was injured and I have enough liability coverage to cover the property damage but would like to see this matter investigated realizing we were lucky the next person may not be.
At a stop, the car began rapid acceleration by itself, the auto emergency brake began but it bypassed it and began accelerating again causing me to rear end someone at a red light
Continuously receiving error message to have front sensors cleaned. Vehicle brought into dealership several times, for weeks at a time. On last visit sensors replaced, and I was told that “ The front sensors have a level of damage caused by sand, salt and other road debris. This has resulted in some scratches which are triggering the sensors and giving you the warnings that you are referring to.” Given this, the front sensor issues are a manufacturing flaw. I asked this if the dealer and, given the stated cause of sand, salt and road debris the likely frequency. With no answer.
On October 04/2025 The vehicle was parked and stationary when it suddenly accelerated forward on its own. The brakes were completely unresponsive. I had a passenger in the front seat, and both she and I are certain that I was pressing the brake, but the car did not slow down at all. Within a few seconds, the vehicle gained speed, and I lost control. There was no space to maneuver, and I could do nothing but brace myself against the seat and watch my rear passengers. The vehicle continued forward and crashed into a tree directly in front, causing damage to the right side of the bumper, and a large rock in front also received the impact. The airbags did not deploy. The two rear passengers struck their heads during the impact and sustained bumps, and my dog was also affected in the collision.This accident occurred despite the car having a recent annual inspection and software update. The sudden acceleration is not the only issue I have experienced with this vehicle. I have had additional safety concerns. The doors would lock, unlock and open by themselves while driving on the freeway. On May 2024, my dog was trapped inside when the doors locked automatically with my keys inside the car. I had to ask a police official in my neighborhood for a phone to call roadside assistance, and it took several hours to get my dog out of the vehicle.
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