A few months ago I was driving my Volkswagen ID.4 (model year 2023) when, seemingly out of nowhere, my driver's door made several unusual clicking noises and then sprang open.
“This is not good,” I thought as I quickly closed the door while trying to keep my hands on the steering wheel. And apparently I wasn't the only one with this problem. Hundreds of other VW owners also had problems keeping their doors closed while driving.
The problem culminated this week with VW halting production of the all-electric ID.4 at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant while it desperately tries to find a solution to the faulty electronic door mechanism. According to the recall, water seeped into the door and caused the electronics to short-circuit, causing the circuit to issue an erroneous “open command.”
The problem reached its peak this week when VW stopped production of the all-electric ID.4
As a solution, VW announced that it would replace the door handles free of charge for owners and issue a software update to improve the “door parameters”.
Earlier this week, VW recalled nearly 100,000 ID.4 vehicles and issued a sales freeze for the electric crossover. Starting September 23, around 200 workers at the Tennessee plant will be furloughed due to the production pause, a company spokesman said.
“As we address the issue, we are focused on doing the right thing for our employees, dealers and consumers during this disruption,” VW spokesman Mark Gilles said in a statement.
And it's pretty bad timing for the German company, which is battling to stay competitive in the face of the looming threat from China. Earlier this month, VW hinted that it might close several factories in Europe for the first time ever in a bid to shave €10 billion from its balance sheet.
Like most other automakers, VW has moved away from its strategy of producing only electric cars in recent months. The company plans to rely more on plug-in hybrids in the future to meet its climate targets. However, Gilles said the production halt order should not be misunderstood as a departure from the company's commitments regarding electric cars.
“This pause does not change our commitment to the ID.4 and our growing BEV portfolio,” he said. “The ID.4 remains one of the best-selling electric vehicles in America.”