Volkswagen has initiated a recall campaign for the all-electric ID.4 as a result of an incorrectly assembled coolant sealing ring at the electric motor. Although the recall only affects a very small number of vehicles, it can have surprisingly wide-ranging impacts on them.
Just 392 vehicles are included in this recall campaign, with VW estimating that around five percent of those vehicles will actually experience any issues. All were built between September 2 and October 3, 2022. Production of the all-electric crossover started at the automaker’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant in July of this year.
The automaker only became aware of this potential problem on September 23, 2022, as a result of an internal quality check at the factory. After an investigation, the automaker figured out that the problem stems from an incorrectly assembled sealing ring.
Read: More Audi And VW Models Hit By Rear-View Camera Issues
Due to that production error, it may be possible for coolant to enter the high-voltage system. That could result in ground bouncing in the low-voltage system, which could interfere with the CAN communication and voltage supply to safety-critical control modules.
If that happens, the performance of the systems could be diminished, which may affect vehicle performance, and this could, in turn, lead to a crash. It’s possible that the problem may even result in the unintended deployment of the airbags, which increases the risk of injury.
Volkswagen will reach out to the owners of affected vehicles starting on January 6, and will ask them to come into the dealership for inspection. It will replace the motors in vehicles that have a bad seal and potential leak.
Since discovering this issue, Volkswagen has improved the assembly procedure for coolant seals on the ID.4, meaning that this issue is less likely to occur. That is the sealant process that will be used on vehicles whose motors are being replaced.
