The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has opened an investigation involving 51,500 units of the Volkswagen ID.4 from the years 2021 to 2023. The focus is on the Volkswagen Group's handling of a recall carried out in 2023, following reports of doors opening while the vehicle was in motion.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is handling the case.
The problem, which has surfaced in a dozen complaints received by the NHTSA, is that the vehicle’s “door could open unexpectedly when the vehicle is subject to high lateral forces at speeds below 9 mph / 15 kmh.”
The first recall notice stated that on some vehicles, water could seep into the door handles. If this happens, the affected doors could suddenly open.
In addition, NHTSA also received reports that the door handles did not always work, preventing people from entering or exiting the vehicle. At the time of the first recall, technicians were required to inspect the door handles and assess whether replacement was necessary.
The NHTSA is thus investigating the effectiveness of the recall and the initial solutions applied at the time. The new complaints received by the NHTSA all involve vehicles that had been repaired, the agency said.