Volkswagen reports that “various quality issues” at its supplier’s factory could cause a problem with the all-electric 2023 ID.4’s doors. That may lead to water getting into the circuit board for the door handle, allowing it to open without a person’s input.
The issue affects 16,207 vehicles in the U.S. and 1,455 vehicles in Canada, all assembled at Volkswagen‘s plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The automaker blames the defect on parts made at its supplier U-Shin’s plant in Mexico.
Volkswagen first became aware of the issue in January of this year, after the first field reports of a door opening unexpectedly were received. Since then, there have been 10 known cases on vehicles produced at the Chattanooga plant.
Read: Kia Recalls 2022 Carnival After Finding That Sliding Door Can Fly Open While Driving
Following an investigation, the automaker has determined that the fault stems from a leak that could allow water to get onto the printed circuit board assembly of the door handle unit. That can cause communication issues between the actual handle and the door control unit, which can lead to the car receiving an open command from the handle, even when no physical attempt has been made to open the door.
That could, in turn, lead to the rather unsettling scenario in which the door on a vehicle traveling at a speed of less than 9 mph (15 km/h) could open when subject to “high lateral forces.”
Naturally, a door opening while the vehicle is in motion is a safety concern both for the vehicle’s occupants and people outside of the ID.4 who may be at risk of being assaulted by a flailing car door. As a result, VW has launched a recall campaign.
The automaker says that it will start getting in touch with owners on May 26, but does not yet have a remedy plan. Meanwhile, new buyers may have had some trouble getting a new ID.4 last month, because VW issued a stop sale on the crossover on March 16. Four days later, it introduced increased quality control inspections and new test parameters in an attempt to stop the issue from proliferating.
