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Vladimir Myronenko
Volkswagen announced regarding the recall of nearly 21,000 ID.4 electric crossovers due to a software problem that might cause a sudden loss of traction. The recall applies to 20,904 2021 model year vehicles manufactured between May 26, 2020 and January 20, 2022.
Image Source: Volkswagen
The first reports from ID.4 owners in Europe regarding potential problems with the software for managing high-voltage batteries began to come to the company as early as July 2021. Software issues have also been reported by owners of the ID.4 in the US, claiming it might cause the vehicle to stall.
As a result of the analysis, VW concluded by September 2021 that there is no unreasonable risk for drivers, “since the steering and braking functions are not affected”, therefore, she did not announce a review, but continued to study the problem. And by January 2022, it turned out that there was also a problem with the software of the pulse inverter, which might also be the reason for the stop of ID.4.
As a result, the company determined that defects in the software “may reset the high voltage battery management module or deactivate the switching inverter”, which can lead to loss of traction while driving, increasing the risk of an accident. However, not a single accident involving ID.4 was registered for this reason.
Although The Verge claimsthat the problem can be solved with an over-the-air (OTA) update that VW has already begun distributing to a limited number of ID.4 owners, Autoblog resource informedthat the update can only be installed by a Volkswagen dealer. So, by the end of March, ID.4 owners will be sent messages to visit the VW dealership to install the software patch for the high voltage battery control unit and the switching inverter control unit.
