2021 Volkswagen ID.4 · symptom sheet

Battery dies or the car will not start

37owner reports
2involved a crash

Newest report Aug 19, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

177 of the 331 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 37 of those describe dead battery. Only infotainment is reported more often on this car.

Tick what matches of 37 reports

dead after sitting a day or two

needed a jump start

battery replaced more than once

warning lights or messages

the dealer found a drain

the dealer found nothing

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (33 reports) and the module (6 reports).

Recalls and investigations

2 recalls on the electrical system cover the 2021 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

23V-040Feb 1, 2023

Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction Battery:Management System/Energy Control Module (Bms/Becm):Software

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 ID.4 vehicles. Software programing may cause the high voltage (HV) battery management control module to restart or the pulse inverter to deactivate.

Risk and remedy

Risk: A reset or deactivation may cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the HV battery management control unit and the pulse inverter control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 31, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97ZZ.

22V-162Mar 16, 2022

Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction Battery

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 ID4 vehicles. Incorrect soldering of the flexible printed circuit assembled (FPCA), inside the high voltage (HV) battery, may cause an unreliable connection.

Risk and remedy

Risk: An unreliable battery connection may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the battery cell modules, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 6, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 9302.

NHTSA investigations into the electrical system on the ID.4

DP22-005opened Jan 27, 2023

Electrical · model years 2021 to 2022

Pedestrian alert sounds. Closed aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V-063.

NHTSA summary

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

When it happens

Too few of these reports state a mileage to give a range.

121

1022

1023

624

625

426

What owners wrote

“The car will periodically lock with the key inside the car. This is potentially deadly for women to keep their keys in their purses. When they exit the vehicle, the door may lock, trapping a small child in a hot car. I had this happen to me today, but luckily, no child was in the back seat. Browsing the VW forums, this is not an isolated incident. I contacted VW, and they did not seem to care.”
Filed Aug 7, 2025

“Got in my car today and have NO DASHBOARD INFORMATION, no speedometer, no battery information, no back up camera, no access to any software related information.”
Filed Jul 21, 2024

“Manufacturer and dealership in my area have been unable to schedule me for getting Safety Recall for High Voltage Battery Management Control Module Software (97ZZ) done to my vehicle. I have been in the waitlist for dealership to do this recall since May 2023. Several times the dealership has said that the battery modules are backordered with no ETA.”
Filed Feb 1, 2024

“I am writing because VW has been unable to fix the recalls associated with my car. The earliest they say they can fix the major recall associated with the car battery is December 2024. This is unacceptable and I hoping the NHTSA can put pressure on VW to fix this problem.”
Filed Sep 23, 2023

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 2 of 37 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.