Software Issue Prompts Volkswagen to Recall its Made-in-Chattanooga ID.4 Electric Vehicles

Almost 80k ID.4 Vehicle Owners will Receive Recall Notice

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Owners of the nearly 80,000 Volkswagen ID.4 electric vehicles produced between the 2021 and 2023 model years may soon receive a recall notice, following reports of a software bug in the vehicles. Although the company is yet to report any accidents relating to this issue, the glitch involves the vehicle’s instrument display and center screens occasionally going blank or rebooting while in use, potentially leading to dangerous driving conditions as drivers are unable to monitor their speed or utilize backup cameras due to the malfunction.

Estimated Impact of the Software Issue

Reported to the federal National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on the 29th of May, 2024, Volkswagen revealed that it estimates approximately 1 percent of the almost 80,000 affected vehicles, which include those manufactured at Chattanooga’s Volkswagen plant, and others produced in Germany, are impacted by this unfortunate bug.

Software Update to Resolve the Issue

Volkswagen is making efforts to rectify the issue swiftly. According to learning from Kelley Blue Book, vehicle owners can bring in their ID.4 to a dealer, where a free-of-charge software update will be installed to fix the bug.

Affected Models

The recall applies specifically to Volkswagen ID.4 electric vehicles manufactured between 2021 and 2023, with a subset of these vehicles produced at the Chattanooga’s Volkswagen plant. Contrary to earlier reports, the ID.4 models are not exclusively made in Chattanooga, as some are also produced in Germany.

This news serves as an important reminder for ID.4 owners to look out for recall notices and swiftly take action to ensure the safety and effective function of their vehicles, and enhances the call for robust and foolproof software frameworks for our increasingly technology-driven automobiles.