2021 Volkswagen ID.4: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 304 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, steering, and body and structure. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2021- Owner complaints
- 304
- Recalls
- 11
- Crashes reported
- 23
- 16 injuries
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2021 Volkswagen ID.4: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Walk-around and cabin
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Check the odometer against these mileages
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Sudden electrical shutdown, power loss
20–10,000 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Electrical1463 crashes
The car shuts down or refuses to shift out of park, often after an "Electrical system not working correctly" warning. It happens at highway speed and sometimes in the first weeks of ownership. Screens freeze, go blank, or reboot, which can switch off cruise control and lane keeping. Doors may not open from inside or outside, and windows lower on their own. Repeat dealer visits and long repair waits are common. Of 146 complaints, 3 involve crashes, including unexpected acceleration and erratic driver-assist braking, and 5 involve injuries, such as a shock from a door.
Steering165 crashes
Most reports here describe the car lunging forward in a parking lot or at a stop while the steering and brakes stop responding. Five of 16 complaints involve crashes, and two involve injuries. Other reports cover sudden shutdowns that drop the car into neutral, lane keeping that steers toward a freeway barrier, and steering that goes loose on cruise control. A touch-sensitive cruise button can resume speed when it gets brushed while turning the wheel. A thumping noise from the front wheel wells in wet weather also shows up.
Body and structure161 crash
Doors open on their own while driving, or will not open from outside or inside, often with loud clicking from the latch. Most of these filings are about a door-handle repair that dealers could not do because parts were on backorder. Owners waited months, and some were still waiting. Several had never had a failure and filed only over the parts delay. One crash report describes the car spurting forward into a light pole while parking.
Brakes152 crashes
Brakes grab hard just before the car comes to a stop. Some owners link this to a recent software update and to wet roads. Stability control also brakes individual wheels on dry curves and highway ramps with no loss of grip, which slows the car unexpectedly. Other reports describe a brake pedal that goes stiff or fails to stop the car, a parking brake that stops working, and the car rolling back on hills. Two complaints involve crashes.
Transmission15No crashes
Sudden loss of drive power is the main complaint. A warning says the electrical system is not working, sometimes along with 12-volt battery errors, and the car coasts to a stop on highways and busy streets. Some cars stay stuck in park for up to 30 minutes until their systems reset. Other reports describe power cutting out when accelerating from a stop, a front motor failure at about 72,000 miles, shifting out of park without pressing the brake, and a parked car rolling away. Dealers often cannot find the fault.
Acceleration and cruise control148 crashes
Unintended acceleration at low speed is the main pattern and the most serious one. Cars lurch forward while parking or in drive-through lines, even with the brake pressed. Of 14 complaints, 8 involve crashes, with 6 injuries. Some cases involve the touch-sensitive cruise control button getting bumped while turning the wheel. Other reports describe adaptive cruise control dropping out at highway speed, displays rebooting while driving, stability control cutting power on moderate corners, and the accelerator briefly not responding.
Fuel system7No crashes
Power cuts out briefly when accelerating from a stop, most often in B mode. It comes back after the pedal is released and pressed again. Dealers have not been able to reproduce it. One complaint describes a fire that started in a battery module on the freeway and injured the driver. Other filings cover delays in high-voltage battery repairs, including a dealer without a certified technician. A charge port door that locks shut and rolling back on hills also appear.
Airbags51 crash
Airbag warning lights stay on. Dealers either cannot fix them or confirm a passenger airbag fault but have no repair. One report describes a curtain airbag deploying at 35 mph after the doors locked and unlocked on their own, which led to a crash and a burn injury. The passenger seat sensor also sets off the seat belt chime when a laptop or heavy bag sits on the seat.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints ID.4 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
"Error: Airbag" periodically comes on, goes off at random times. Seems to be an issue with the Passenger Occupancy Detection System Module. Nothing spilled to make this module not work properly. With this error on, it turns off the airbag for the passenger. This has been confirmed by the dealer. This error appeared without warning or incident at ~45K miles on the car.
Filed with NHTSA, May 2025
On 5/10/2023 I got into the vehicle, started, put it in Drive, and noticed the FRONT PASSENGER DOOR was showing ajar in the instrument cluster. I grabbed the door and confirmed it had become unlatched and had to close it again. On 5/16/2023 I again was in the vehicle, in drive, but not moving when the FRONT PASSENGER DOOR opened on its own with no occupant. I reached over and closed the door, but the door locks became inoperative for several minutes.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2023
While backing out of the drive way, electronic console of the car went black, we lost control over steering and accelerator functions and potentially brakes (unsure) while car was still moving. This happened at low speed (5-10 MPH). The instrument panel showed message to call service immediately. To regain control, we pressed the start engine button, which allowed us to again control the car. The call service message disappeared.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2022
In two years I haven’t been able to open my passenger side doors from the outside.. VW states it a recall item with no fix available. This is only a way to skirt the lemon laws. VW should be forced to fix these defective doors at once to take the car back,. I going to seek remedy in Federal Court if this isn’t addressed soon.
Filed with NHTSA, February 2024
Battery cell issue not resolved due to charger recall. Vehicle now unable to drive. Door handle recall still outstanding and predicted completion unknown due to parts issue. This in it self is dangerous as doors can open randomly while driving.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2025
My car is stopped and still due to heavy traffic . All of a sudden, while stopping, it starts moving and rolling away by itself. I try to stop it using the break pedal but it doesn’t stop.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2025
We vehicle is stopped in any type of grade (hill, incline, or decline) when releasing the break pedal the vehicle will roll in the direction of the grade, power must be immediately applied to prevent roll. This could potentially cause a crash if a vehicle is behind/in front of another. The system should employ an auto hold type of grade breaking system. Vehicle has not been inspected, and is available upon request. This can be reproduced.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2021
How the 2021 compares with other ID.4 years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2021 ranks second for owner complaints among 5 ID.4 years, about 2.1 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Electrical14662
- Steering164
- Body and structure1611
- Brakes156
- Transmission159
- Acceleration and cruise control149
Where the 2021 fits in the ID.4's history
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2021 is the first model year of the ID.4's first generation (2021–2024). First years of a redesign often carry teething problems that Volkswagen fixes in later years, so the checks above matter more than usual.
Volkswagen updated the ID.4 for 2023, so a 2021 does not have those changes.
What changed for 2023 (not on a 2021)
- New 62 kWh battery option
- Redesigned center console
- 12-inch infotainment system
Should you avoid the first year of a redesign? See the 45-car study.
Recalls to confirm (11)
Recall repairs are free at any Volkswagen dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
25V120000TransmissionFeb 2025
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2023 ID.4, 2022-2023 Audi Q4 e-Tron, and Q4 e-Tron Sportback vehicles. The instrument panel may not properly display the transmission gear lever indicator. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect.".
Risk: Failure to display the gear position may result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not engaged, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the brake control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 14, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97H3. Audi's number for this recall is 454R.
24V651000Body and structureSep 2024
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2024 ID.4 vehicles. The door handles may allow water to enter the circuit board assembly, which can cause the doors to open unexpectedly.
Risk: A vehicle door that opens unexpectedly while driving increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen dealers will inspect and replace the door handles as necessary, and update the vehicle software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 27, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 57J9. This recall expands previous recall numbers 23V-312 and 23V-213. Vehicles previously repaired under 23V-312 and 23V-213 will need to have the new remedy completed.
24V344000Backup cameraMay 2024
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain 2021-2023 ID.4 vehicles. Due to a software issue, affected vehicles may experience center displays and instrument panel displays that do not boot, or that sporadically reset. This can result in loss of speedometer information or loss of rearview camera image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: Displays that do not show critical information, such as vehicle speed or the rearview camera image, increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 20, 2024. Owners may contact VW customer service at 1-800-893-5298. VW's number for this recall is 919A.
23V312000Body and structureMay 2023
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2022 ID.4 vehicles. The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with door handles that allow water to enter the circuit board assembly, which can cause the doors to open unexpectedly when the vehicle is subject to high lateral forces at speeds below 9 mph/15 kmh.
Risk: A vehicle door that opens unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will update the vehicle software, and inspect the door handles as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 19, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall are 57J5 and 57J8. This recall was replaced by recall number 24V-651.
23V040000ElectricalFeb 2023
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 ID.4 vehicles. Software programing may cause the high voltage (HV) battery management control module to restart or the pulse inverter to deactivate.
Risk: A reset or deactivation may cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the HV battery management control unit and the pulse inverter control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 31, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97ZZ.
22V858000AirbagsNov 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 ID4 vehicles. The passenger air bag may be incorrectly folded. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.".
Risk: An incorrectly folded air bag may not protect the occupant as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 14, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number to this recall is 69EH.
22V162000ElectricalMar 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 ID4 vehicles. Incorrect soldering of the flexible printed circuit assembled (FPCA), inside the high voltage (HV) battery, may cause an unreliable connection.
Risk: An unreliable battery connection may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the battery cell modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 6, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 9302.
21V852000SteeringNov 2021
Volkswagen Group of American, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling one 2021 ID.4 vehicle. The steering gear may have an incorrectly assembled or missing drive bushing.
Risk: An incorrectly assembled or missing drive bushing may cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: A dealer will replace the steering gear, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 5, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 48Q7.
21V606000Seat beltsAug 2021
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.".
Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).
21V607000Seat beltsAug 2021
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 ID4 vehicles. Incorrect rear outboard seat belt assemblies without an automatic locking retractor (ALR) function may have been installed, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.".
Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the rear outboard seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69CQ.
21V413000Exterior lightsJun 2021
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 ID.4 vehicles. Caps were installed on the headlight vertical aim instead of the horizontal aim, allowing for horizontal adjustment of the headlight beam. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment.".
Risk: Adjusting the horizontal headlight beam can increase glare, reducing visibility for the driver and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will remove the caps from the vertical aim and install them on the horizontal aim, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 18, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 9406.
Also looking at these instead of a ID.4?
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