2025 Volkswagen ID.4 Owner Complaints

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 ID

11753066

Incident

Jul 1, 2026

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 ID

11749746

Incident

Jul 11, 2026

On April 1st I had my windshield replaced due to a crack in the upper central portion of the windshield. When the glass place took the windshield off my car they found a burnt section in the headliner. The glass place reported it immediately to the Volkswagon dealership and asked the device person at the dealership to come look at the burnt headliner before they placed the glass back. The service person at the dealer did go and look at the car so the glass people finished installing the windshield but took pictures prior to installing the new glass. The dealership then reach out to me and asked to bring the car in ASAP. The car was dropped off a few days later for the service department at the dealership to look into the burnt headliner. After the dealer has had the car for 10 days VW Corp is refusing to conduct a full investigation to determine the issue of this burnt area. Concerned this car is a fire risk and unsafe due to wire issues or overheating elements around the windshield. The risk and issue is completely hidden in the car and not easily known about or identified during an event. Could put my house in jeopardy if fire starts while in my garage. Manufacture/dealership has inspected the car. Insurance is determining if they will inspect the vehicle or not. No warning lights or any indication this area was hot or hot even to burn the headliner.

NHTSA ID

11731993

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

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 ID

11730071

Incident

Dec 22, 2025

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 ID

11729245

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

On multiple occasions the infotainment system/central control system has gone black and rebooted while driving without any prior notification or warning. The front two USB ports indicate they are producing 12.2 volts; however, as soon as anything is plugged in, they become disabled and will not work. The warning lights indicating the front passenger seat belt is not in use randomly turn on when there is no passenger present in that seat.

NHTSA ID

11725247

Incident

Mar 17, 2026

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 ID

11715506

Incident

Jan 22, 2026

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 ID

11715309

Incident

Jun 20, 2025

While driving, the center infotainment display repeatedly goes completely black and reboots without warning. This occurs while the vehicle is in motion. During these events, the touchscreen-based climate controls and infotainment functions are unavailable until the system restarts. The driver display (speedometer) remains active. This has happened multiple times under normal driving conditions. Volkswagen recommended disabling wireless Apple CarPlay and using a wired USB connection instead. We followed this guidance exactly, disabling Bluetooth and wireless CarPlay and using only a USB connection. Despite this, the infotainment system continues to crash and reboot while driving. Because the vehicle relies on the center screen for climate controls, vehicle settings, and camera access, this failure creates driver distraction and a potential safety risk. Loss of the center display while driving is not acceptable in a new vehicle. This appears to be a software or system stability defect affecting the infotainment system and is not limited to wireless phone connectivity. I have photographic documentation of the screen going black during these events.

NHTSA ID

11715104

Incident

Feb 2, 2026

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 ID

11714684

Incident

Jan 4, 2026

I am writing to formally report a serious and ongoing defect with my 2025 Volkswagen ID.4, purchased 3 months and 2 days ago and currently located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since purchase, the vehicle has experienced at least eight 8 separate failures of the infotainment / central display system, which controls essential vehicle functions including climate control, audio, vehicle settings, and camera systems. Description of the defect: The central display intermittently: •freezes. •becomes unresponsive. •shuts down completely. •or fails to boot properly. When this occurs, I lose control of critical vehicle functions, including climate control and camera access, which raises significant safety and usability concerns. Key concerns: •The vehicle is new and under full factory warranty. •The defect is repetitive, unresolved, and not isolated. •This is not a cosmetic issue, but a functional failure of systems essential to vehicle operation. •The frequency and persistence of this issue raise concerns regarding vehicle reliability and compliance with safety expectations. Given the number of occurrences within a very short ownership period, I am formally requesting that PLEASE Volkswagen: 1.Open an official case regarding this defect 2.Provide a permanent repair solution (not a temporary reset), and 3.Advise on next steps should this defect continue, including remedies available under warranty and applicable consumer protection / Lemon Law provisions. Please I ask for your support. I am prepared to provide service records, videos, dates of failure, and VIN information upon request. I expect this matter to be handled with the urgency appropriate for a repeated defect affecting essential vehicle systems in a new vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11704959

Incident

Nov 6, 2025

The last two days I have been receiving a child lock error on my ID.4. Looking online, it seems like this is a common issue. When that issue occurs, it disables all window and lock functions in the car. Needless to say, I cannot engage the child lock, lock my car, nor roll down my windows. If I were in an accident, I cannot get out by rolling the windows down. Now, going back to researching online, I’m finding it comes down to a failed board or a failed software update. Either way, this is a huge safety issue/concern.

NHTSA ID

11699519

Incident

Nov 13, 2025

While driving, the infotainment and central control display on our 2025 Volkswagen ID.4 repeatedly crash without warning. During these incidents, the navigation, HVAC controls, audio, CarPlay, vehicle warnings, and backup camera all become inoperable while the vehicle is in motion, including at highway speeds. Volkswagen has confirmed that this is a known, widespread software defect affecting multiple ID.4 vehicles and that no repair or software update is currently available. The vehicle has been at the dealership since November 3, 2025, awaiting a fix. These failures create a serious safety hazard by eliminating access to vehicle controls and safety-critical information. Volkswagen has refused to provide a fix or timeline for correction. Case No. 07127932 – Volkswagen Customer CARE. VIN [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11698722

Incident

Oct 31, 2025

The car is unlocking itself without anyone using the key fob or the app to unlock it. This puts us at risk for someone breaking into our car and stealing it, or worse waiting in the car to carjack us. We have 3 videos to document this as well and several times it wasn’t caught on video. The infotainment system has also been fully rebooting itself while driving, which has happened 3 times in the past week alone. When it reboots we lose access to navigation, climate control, and the regular speedometer view

NHTSA ID

11697968

Incident

Nov 6, 2025

While driving the instrument panel reboots and or just goes blank, leaving the vehicle without any display. This will happen multiple times per week and has happened since I purchased the vehicle. I have reported this to the dealer without any solution.

NHTSA ID

11696196

Incident

Oct 28, 2025

I drove our ID4 to pick up a neighbor's son from school. Using the regenerative braking mode, I came to a stop on a side street, just beyond a school crossing where middle school kids were everywhere, at which time the car lunged forward at a high rate of speed while my foot was still on the brake. Luckily we ran into a parked service van that slowed our progress while I put the car in the parking mode, which finally stopped the car. We both experienced the hard impact of hitting the truck and noticed that the air bags did not deploy. There are skid marks that confirm that the brakes were employed while the car moved independently. We are grateful we didn't hit anyone. I will not drive this car again. There were no indications that anything we amiss prior to this malfunction. Our insurance adjustor will be coming by in the next day or two to inspect the car. This could have been a tragic event!!!!!

NHTSA ID

11695332

Incident

Oct 23, 2025

The vehicle launched forward while parking going thru a CMU wall, causing considerable damage to the structure and the car itself. Airbag was deployed injuring the driver and causing a cut in the bottom lip and skin burns on the left hand from a small fire that went thru the clothes. Also, the driver was in state of shock after the incident due to the speed at which everything occurred. During the day, the driver complained about dizziness and pain at the base of the neck, numbness/pain in the face. Additionally, the driver pressed the brake pedal to try to avoid the crash but did not prevent the car from launching forward. It appears that the capacitive controls located on the left side of the steering wheel, were inadvertently reengaged while the driver was maneuvering to park. VW of America requested the car to be dropped of at the dealer but has not looked at it as of the time of this reporting. The incident occurred earlier this morning and still getting appraisal for damages of both the property and vehicle. No warning lights were present before the incident, however there were anomalies with the infotainment system days prior to the accident.

NHTSA ID

11695134

Incident

Oct 22, 2025

While driving slowly in B mode, I began pulling into a parking space in Home Depot parking lot next to a planter, keeping my foot on the brake pedal. Suddenly, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated, surged over the tire stop, crossed a raised concrete center walkway, and continued over the planter on the opposite side. The vehicle finally came to a stop after traveling approximately 50 feet, despite my foot remaining on the brake pedal throughout the incident. One tire is flat and the wheel is damaged. There are scrap marks on the other tires. We can not see if there is other damages of the vehicle. Fortunately there were no other cars in the opposite parking spot or pedestrians on the walkway. Vehicle damage is one thing, the safety issue is another concern.

NHTSA ID

11689963

Incident

Sep 26, 2025

The vehicle has difficulty coming to a stop and requires slamming the brakes in full which causes a loud churning noise, the braking is intermittent, sometimes it works well and sometimes it works terribly. It is a huge safety issue. Also the lane keep assist seems to not work so well as well, it will drift out of the lanes at times when it is on

NHTSA ID

11688878

Incident

Sep 21, 2025

The contact leased a 2025 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact stated that while driving at 5-10 MPH, attempting to park, the vehicle suddenly and rapidly accelerated on its own. The brake pedal was applied but failed to stop the vehicle, resulting in a crash with a parked 2011 Honda Odyssey belonging to the contact. There was no police report filed. reported injuries. air bag deployment or fire. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the incident. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

NHTSA ID

11684400

Incident

Sep 1, 2025

Mileage

132,000 mi

On [XXX], I was parking my 2025 VW ID.4 car in a parking spot in B mode and applying the brake to come to a stop. The car suddenly accelerated forward (of its own will) at maximum speed such that the car ran over a bollard, a sidewalk and into a brick wall causing significant damage. In the space of perhaps 10 feet at most the car went from a stopping position to taking out a brick wall on a commercial building. This is so incredibly dangerous as someone could have been on the sidewalk and killed. I could have been killed as my airbag never deployed despite charging with great speed into a brick wall! NHTSA must do something to resolve this. VW has overwhelming knowledge of this defect. In June 2025 a class action lawsuit was filed against the VW for this exact reason - link here: [XXX] Per the lawsuit there have been deaths related to this defect. This was never disclosed to me when I bought the car....as a matter of fact, the EV safety features in their sales pitch was one of the overwhelming reasons I bought the car. There are also many blogs related to this issue describing almost exactly what happened to me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11683989

Incident

Aug 27, 2025

the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated while parking. the vehicle was in regenerative breaking mode and my foot was on the brake pedal. at no point was my foot in contact with the acceleration pedal.

NHTSA ID

11679529

Incident

Aug 9, 2025

This vehicle was purchased new on May 23, 2025. On several occasions it has left us 'stranded' due to electrical failures. Dates: 06/09/2025, 07/03/2025, 08/06/2025, 08/08/2025

NHTSA ID

11679521

Incident

Jun 9, 2025

The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle was not emitting an audible alert, comprising the back over prevention system. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the Year, Make, and Model, was not equipped with the feature, potentially in violation of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 3,100.

NHTSA ID

11678534

Incident

Aug 5, 2025

Mileage

3,100 mi

3 times in the last 4 weeks, I have had a situation where I get into the car to drive it and the Infotainment screen is black and not functional. The only way to reset it is to get out, lock the car, and come back 15 minutes later and it resolves itself. During the time the Infotainment screen is not functioning, the car is still drivable, but if you put it into reverse the backup camera is not shown on the infotainment screen, nor are any other of the assistive/safety features involved with parking or safely backing up the vehicle. I've taken the car into VW Service and it came back "unable to reproduce" and "no trouble found", and they provided no assistance in how to quickly restore functionality of the infotainment screen, including use of the safety NHSTA-mandated backup camera. This is a safety hazard, as the car is still drivable and it's likely people who have this problem will still drive the car even though mandated safety features like the backup camera are inoperative.

NHTSA ID

11675986

Incident

Jul 23, 2025