Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 22,524 ID.4 electric SUVs because the high-voltage battery can fail and start a fire. The campaign is NHTSA recall 26V630, Volkswagen number 93EX, and it covers certain 2023 through 2026 model-year ID.4s built between January 1, 2023, and February 1, 2025. NHTSA received the report on September 30, and Volkswagen filed an amended Part 573 report on October 1.
There is no repair yet. Until there is, Volkswagen and NHTSA advise owners to charge their ID.4 to no more than 80% of battery capacity. The recall does not carry a do-not-drive or park-outside advisory.
What can go wrong
Volkswagen says the root cause is unknown. Its filing states that in certain high-voltage batteries in the affected population, certain charging profiles combined with a state of charge above 80% may trigger thermal propagation, a chain reaction of overheating inside the pack. If that happens, the result can be a vehicle fire. NHTSA's consequence statement says a fire increases the risk of injury.
The battery cells come from SK Battery America in Commerce, Georgia. The filing lists three high-voltage battery part numbers and says Volkswagen picked the affected vehicles using assembly records, battery traceability data, supplier production records and available charging data. ID.4s left out of the recall either have cells made outside the suspect production range or have enough recent charging data showing use below the threshold Volkswagen defined. The company estimates 0.1% of the recalled vehicles have the defect.
Vehicles covered by recall 26V630
| Model | Model years | Production window | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen ID.4 | 2023–2026 | Jan 1, 2023 – Feb 1, 2025 | 22,524 |
Source: Volkswagen Group of America Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26V630, amended October 1, 2026.
How Volkswagen got here
According to the chronology in the filing, Volkswagen's product safety committee ordered a field study on June 17, 2026, after a review of battery thermal events in the field pointed to a possible link with certain isolation-resistance values and DC fast-charging ratios. The study examined complete battery systems from vehicles that had not been part of the company's earlier high-voltage battery recalls.
The results went to the Volkswagen Group product safety committee on September 21, which asked the cell supplier for more detail on production measures and when good parts started. Two days later, on September 23, Volkswagen decided to recall the U.S. vehicles even though the root cause had not been found. It identified 22 claims in the U.S. between January 18, 2024, and August 7, 2026. The filing does not break those claims down further.
What ID.4 owners should do
Set the charge limit to 80% now, both at home and on public fast chargers. As an interim measure, every affected owner will get warning stickers to place in the vehicle as a reminder not to charge above 80%, and Volkswagen says some vehicles may be set to cap the maximum charge at 80% depending on configuration and online connectivity. The final remedy is still in development.
Volkswagen planned to notify dealers on October 6. Interim letters to owners are due November 27, 2026, with a second letter once the repair is ready. NHTSA made VINs searchable on October 6, so owners can check a vehicle now at nhtsa.gov/recalls or call Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and cite recall 93EX. Volkswagen says it will not offer a reimbursement plan because the affected vehicles are still under the new-vehicle limited warranty.
