2023 Volkswagen ID.4

Automatic parking assist and reverse braking systems exhibit severe, recurring malfunctions causing collisions and injuries. On May 24, 2025, at approx. 4:10 PM, auto-park uncommanded the vehicle to strike a mailbox in a familiar spot. Dealer dismissed incident without diagnostics. Beyond this collision, the vehicle exhibits frequent, violent, unintended braking during reverse. This occurs when: Turning body to look back: System abruptly locks brakes, causing whiplash-like neck pain to me. Dealer stated this was "normal" for "driver seating" despite explanation. Encountering minor obstacles: System misidentifies leaves/garbage bins as threats, engaging full, hard braking. This causes extreme distress and has violently thrown passengers forward. My teenager son sustained a visible bruise for one week after hitting the console during one such incident March 2024 These system malfunctions create high risk of injury to occupants and pedestrians. The unpredictable braking events are a fundamental flaw. These issues were reported to the dealer within weeks of purchase and to VW Group of America Customer Care (800-822-8987) after the mailbox incident. They remain unresolved."

I was driving off the freeway in my ID4 and had been driving with both B mode (Regenerative braking) and the cruise control on. I then proceeded to drive approx 4 miles, still in B mode. I pulled into a parking space at my local swim club, and as I pulled into the space I took my foot off the accelerator, and began to slow down. As I was about to break to bring the car to a complete standstill, the adaptive cruise control kicked in and launched my car forward over the small concrete bollard, through a chain-link fence and into a tree stump (roughly the length of the car again). This caused considerable damage to my vehicle, but more so I am concerned for other drivers that these two drive modes conflict with each other and cause a serious safety concern. Insurance claim has been logged with AAA.

A squirrel entered my ID.4 through the right wheel well while I was at work and it began to make a nest in the front of my engine compartment. I was alerted to the problem by all of the dashboard warning lights flashing the ACC and related front safety systems. The squirrel had chewed through the harness wires down to the connectors on the 8 and 9 connectors and the 6 pin connector. I know it was a squirrel because I saw it in the engine compartment when I opened the hood and other coworkers had nests in their hood areas. No damage to thier vehicle because the critical wires were not so carelessly exposed.

My car has experience Phantom braking 3 times. The automated braking system unexpectedly activated while I was driving out of my driveway and on to the street. There were no cars on the road when it happened. Another time it happened while I was backing out of my garage. It unexpectedly slammed the brakes. It is very scary when it happens because the body ricochets and it startles you and the car goes into park mode. The third time happened while I was driving in a crowded parking lot. I was moving like 5 miles an hour very slowly and it activated the automated braking system, there was a car behind me and I almost got rear ended. I just hope it doesn’t happen to me while I am driving on the freeway. I will be a very dangerous outcome.

As I described via various work orders to VW Centennial service since 05-15-2024 (5 service orders ago). I am seriously concerned about the sensor ability to prevent and effectively work when needed. Today, 02-26-2025 I am documenting a clear scenario where ACC failed. On Freeway 215 driving 60 MPG with ACC engaged. Traffic on the freeway came to a standstill, the ACC engaged and stopped my ID4 from 55 MPH. This is the ideal outcome. However it failed few moments later. ACC showed ready when at standstill. When traffic resumed, ID4 accelerated to commensurate with the traffic at 25mph and ACC kept on par with the car ahead which is intended with the ideal distance. 5 seconds later, cars stopped again. This is where ACC should have stopped my ID4. However it did NOT. ACC did not stop my ID4 only to find myself facing a red collision alert second later within car length away. Had to hit the brakes hard and swerve to avoid collision with the car in front. I was led into a false sense of security as ACC worked minutes prior. This is not the first time ACC failed, and based on my accounting, it only works ¾ times. Even failure to engage ¼ times this can result in a serious collision. Many times I’ve discussed with the service asking them to replicate the same issue reported here. I also gave service exact scenarios where this happened. ACC also consistently fails 100% on highway off-ramps as the sensor does not see off-ramp barriers. As such you can always find ID4 ACC accelerating into increasing elevation off-ramps. A clear example of such you is on Freeway 215 and 95 off-ramp. This is a severe safety flaw that is 100% reproducible that I’ve explained to my service department time and again.

After NHTSA 919A been applied for my VW ID4, NHTSA Recall ID Number 24V875 was not properly addressed. 1 week after the recall completed by Centenial VW, I still have computer crash and blackout in the main dash and infotainment systems. I've shown these photos to David Lucero at Centenial VW service and he claims it was done properly. Attached is the photos.

While driving using the VW Travel Assist (lane keeping) system, the vehicle was unable to "see" the lane markings and Travel Assist disconnected. When this happens the display of the lanes changes from green to gray, but there is no warning. In the case where i was traveling about 30 MPH it took less than a second for the vehicle to steer off the road. The Adaptive Cruise Control remained engaged as the Travel Assist disengaged. Considering that VW has programmed in white and red warnings plus a sound to require the driver to control steering about every 10 seconds it seems to be minor addition to trigger those warning lights and sound if the Travel Assist disengages.

While driving the vehicles safety features automatically turn off and the screens in the car go blank and then come back on after a few minutes. When we contacted the dealer and the manufacturer we were told there was no fix and to just pull over and restart the car. The dealer told us to treat it like a cell phone that isn’t working and just turn it off and turn it back on.