Recalls

Recalls Piling Up for Volkswagen ID.4, Audi Q4 e-tron, Sales Put on Halt

by Guillaume Rivard

More troubles are affecting the Volkswagen ID.4 and its upscale cousin, the Audi Q4 e-tron. The two German electric SUVs have just been hit with another pair of recalls. In the case of the former, whose sales were suspended over three months last fall to fix a problem with the door handles, the recall count now stands at 14.

First, nearly 13,000 units of the 2024 ID.4 and 2024-2025 Q4 e-tron are being recalled in Canada because their on-board charger (OCDC) could fail. As a result, the 12V battery will not charge and could cause a loss of power to the wheels.

It should be noted that this problem will cause warning lights to turn on and warning messages to display before any loss of power. The solution involves Volkswagen and Audi dealers replacing the on-board charger. Leftover units on dealer lots—there are hundreds of them—cannot be sold until then since a stop-sale order has been issued. 

Photo: Louis-Philippe Dubé

Meanwhile, around 7,400 units of the 2021-2023 ID.4 and 2022-2023 Q4 e-tron across the country are facing a separate recall due to a software problem that could cause the ''N'' (Neutral) gear position not to display on the instrument cluster under certain circumstances.

In other words, drivers may not be aware when the transmission is in neutral. If this happens and the brakes or parking brake aren't used, the vehicle could inadvertently roll away.

The remedy here is an update to the brake control unit software at the dealership. Until that’s done, Volkswagen recommends owners to use the parking brake (and confirm the parking brake indicator light is on) when they park their vehicle.

Photo: Louis-Philippe Dubé

The Volkswagen ID.4 has previously been recalled for a different problem with the 12V battery, as well as issues with the high-voltage battery and the displays, among other things.

As for the Audi Q4 e-tron, now the target of six recalls since launch, dozens of customers are complaining about starting and charging issues, not to mention assorted electronic bugs. Many have had to return to their dealer for servicing on multiple occasions, and a class action was filed in Quebec last month.  

Photo: Antoine Joubert
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