Volkswagen is recalling 20,904 ID.4 electric vehicles, all from the 2021 model year, to address an issue stemming from faulty drivetrain control system software.
In the affected vehicles, the current software can cause the battery management control module to reboot or the pulse inverter to deactivate, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This, in turn, can lead to a loss of power while driving.
Regarding the battery management control module software, a self-diagnosis function may be too sensitive, causing unnecessary reboots. Meanwhile, the defective pulse inverter software can result in an “incorrect assessment of internal measurement values,” leading to deactivation, according to the NHTSA. In both cases, the driver will receive a warning on the instrument cluster.
The affected vehicles were built between May 26, 2020, and January 20, 2022. All of them have an earlier version of the relevant software, which has been updated in later versions. Recall documents point to reports of vehicles stalling originating in the U.S., but Volkswagen has not acknowledged any accidents or injuries related to the issue.
To remedy the problem, Volkswagen dealerships will install updated software for both the battery management control module and the pulse inverter free of charge. Volkswagen will notify owners when to schedule appointments for this work, and notification letters are expected to be mailed starting March 31.
The ID.4 was Volkswagen’s debut electric vehicle for its EV push in the U.S., featuring the new MEB platform designed to underpin millions of EVs. Other MEB-platform-based vehicles destined for the U.S. include the ID.Buzz van and the ID.7 sedan.
This is the first such recall for Volkswagen’s MEB platform, which has had a good track record so far and should not be confused with the numerous issues Volkswagen has faced since its launch related to software and interfaces.
