Volkswagen Group of America is recalling approximately 43,881 model year 2023-2025 ID.4 electric vehicles due to high-voltage battery modules that may overheat and potentially cause a fire. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued recall number 26V030 on January 21, 2026, affecting vehicles produced between September 2, 2022, and April 10, 2025.
Highlights
- 43,881 Volkswagen ID.4 vehicles from model years 2023-2025 are affected by potential thermal propagation in high-voltage battery modules
- Shifted electrode conditions identified in battery cell modules supplied by SK Battery America Inc. may cause self-discharge and overheating
- Remedy includes battery health check inspection, Self-Discharge Detection software installation, and battery module replacement as needed at no cost
- Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed by March 20, 2026, with VINs searchable on NHTSA.gov since January 23, 2026
Defect Description
The recall addresses high-voltage battery cell modules that may experience thermal propagation in rare circumstances, potentially resulting in a vehicle fire. Volkswagen estimates approximately 1% of the affected population may exhibit the defect.
Vehicles included in this recall lack Self-Discharge Detection software. Models already equipped with SDD software are not part of the recall population.
Root Cause Investigation
Joint analysis between Volkswagen and battery supplier SK Battery America Inc. did not yield a definitive root cause despite extensive cell module and vehicle data analysis. However, investigation findings indicate certain production deviations at the supplier’s facility may result in self-discharge.
In September 2025, tear-down analysis of damaged cell modules revealed a shifted electrode condition. The supplier subsequently identified the specific modules affected by this manufacturing anomaly.
A second hardware issue from production was identified between December 2025 and January 2026, potentially resulting in a different shifted electrode condition. This issue does not appear connected to any known field incidents.
Timeline of Events
Volkswagen learned of thermal events in 2024 and 2025 where on-site investigations determined the area of origin was within the high-voltage battery. Affected batteries underwent analysis at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant and supplier facilities.
Vehicle data from three failures occurring on May 22, June 23, and October 31, 2025, indicate the updated SDD software would have detected potential self-discharge in advance.
On January 14, 2026, Volkswagen’s Product Safety Committee decided to conduct a recall covering all vehicles without SDD software as a precautionary measure.
Remedy Program
Volkswagen dealers will perform the following services at no cost to owners:
- Battery health check inspection on all vehicles within the campaign
- Installation of updated SDD software to enable self-discharge detection
- Replacement of affected HV battery cell modules as needed based on inspection results or SDD software warnings
The automaker notes that ID.4 vehicles with 82kWh high-voltage batteries produced after January 17, 2024, were built with updated BMCe software already installed. Production of ID.4 vehicles with 62kWh batteries ended before the software update was implemented.
Owner Information
Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and reference recall number 93EA. Vehicle identification numbers involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 23, 2026.
Customers experiencing loss of range or performance are advised to have their vehicle diagnosed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer.
Sign up for our popular daily email to catch all the latest EV news!
