Volkswagen Recalls ID.4 EVs Over Battery Fire Risk, Tells Owners To Park Outside

• The Volkswagen ID.4 electric crossover is being recalled in the U.S. over a high-voltage battery fire risk.
• Over 1,000 ID.4 owners are advised to park outside.
• Separately, nearly 44,000 ID.4s are being recalled for another high-voltage battery issue that could lead to a fire.

Volkswagen is recalling over 45,000 ID.4 electric cars sold in the United States because their high-voltage batteries may catch fire. The German car company has issued three separate recalls in less than two months regarding this condition, but not all of the affected cars carry the same risk. So let’s dig deeper to see what’s going on.

The highest probability of a fire occurring is linked to 1,299 Volkswagen ID.4 EVs that were manufactured between November 3, 2022, and September 22, 2024. The owners of these cars are advised to park outside after charging because some battery cells have misaligned electrodes, which could lead to a fire.

Model years 2023 through 2025 are affected.

The affected vehicles should also only be charged to 80% state of charge, and owners should avoid using DC fast chargers and rely on AC slow chargers until the issue is fixed.

Volkswagen said that four battery fires have been reported so far. To fix the problem, the affected vehicles, which are part of two separate recalls, will be inspected by dealers and have the potentially affected battery cell modules replaced with new units. The first recall for this potentially dangerous situation was issued on December 3, 2025, when 311 vehicles were identified as having faulty cells installed. However, Volkswagen amended that recall on December 15, adding another 318 vehicles.

Then, on January 21, Volkswagen Group of America issued a second recall related to the same issue, which includes an additional 670 vehicles. A third recall, issued on the same day, involves 43,881 Volkswagen ID.4 EVs from the 2023 through the 2025 model years, but the owners of these cars can continue to use DC fast chargers and park indoors.

That said, the recall is still linked to potentially defective high-voltage battery cells that may overheat, increasing the risk of a fire. The problem with this recall is that neither Volkswagen nor SK Battery America, the battery manufacturer, has found the root cause of the issues yet, despite “extensive cell module and vehicle data analysis.”

Owners may experience a loss of driving range or performance if their car is affected by the problem described in the recall. 

To fix the problem, VW will run a battery health check on the cars included in this recall and then install a self-discharge detection (SDD) software that can help detect issues and prevent potential fires. If defective modules are found, they will be replaced for free.