When we’re driving along the road, we’re rarely expecting the doors of our vehicle to swing open randomly. That’s what some Volkswagen ID.4 owners have been experiencing, prompting the German automaker to issue a recall.
According to Automotive News, some ID.4 SUVs have been exhibiting a problem with doors that open unexpectedly in low-speed situations. According to NHTSA documents, the vehicle’s doors could open when the car experienced high lateral forces below speeds of 9 mph. The issue affects both front and rear doors on both the driver’s and passenger’s sides of the vehicle.
The issue first came to VW’s attention after field reports surfaced in January this year, with 10 cases noted. In a statement made to InsideEVs, VW noted that no accidents or injuries have been reported at this time.
Root cause analysis revealed the problem lies with the door handles of ID.4 SUVs built in VW’s Chattanooga assembly plant in Tennessee. The parts, supplied by U-Shin Ltd., may not meet the appropriate standards for protection against water ingress.
If water gets inside the door handle, it can affect the electronics inside, causing communication issues between the handle and the door control unit. This can trigger the door control unit to open the door in the absence of any action by the occupants of the vehicle. Speculation suggests the issue may be limited to low speeds due to safety features built into the control unit that prevent opening the doors at higher speeds.
VW has put out a stop-sale order for ID.4 SUVs built at its Chattanooga plant while it seeks to rectify the issue. At this stage, a fix is not yet available for the problem. Meanwhile, the recall will cover 16,207 ID.4s, with roughly 15% of these vehicles expected to exhibit the defect in question. VW will notify owners on or before May 26 with regards to the recall, with inspection and repair to be handled by dealers.
At best, a door flinging open while driving is an unwelcome surprise. At worst, it could lead to injury to vehicle occupants or pedestrians, too. Thankfully, VW caught this issue before anyone was hurt. However, if you do have an ID.4 parked at home, it may pay to be careful when you’re driving around, particularly in the wet.
Got a tip? Let the author know: lewin@thedrive.com