22K Volkswagen EVs recalled, owners urged to change charging methods to avoid dangerous risk

Nation & World NewsBatteries that are charged over 80% are at risk of failing and causing a fire according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (Getty Images)Getty ImagesBy Matt Durr | mattdurr@mlive.comVolkswagen is recalling an estimated 22,524 ID4 electric vehicles because of a battery issue that can cause fires. As a result, the automaker is advising owners to make changes to how they charge the vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall applies to certain 2023-2026 ID4 electric vehicles. No other Volkswagen vehicles are involved in the recall. The recall is necessary because the vehicle’s high voltage battery can fail and catch fire. Volkswagen is aware of 23 claims identified in the U.S. from Jan. 18, 2024 through Aug. 7, 2026 related to the issue. The company says the root cause and a repair solution have yet to be determined. Until a fix is ready, Volkswagen is advising affected owners to limit charging of the vehicle’s battery to no more than 80%. Volkswagen says that “certain charging profiles combined with a state of charge over 80% may trigger thermal propagation within the high-voltage battery.” Thermal propagation can cause a fire in the battery. A timetable for when the fix will be ready is unclear. “As an interim risk-reduction measure, all affected owners of vehicles subject to this campaign will receive a warning sticker to be placed at specific places at the vehicle to remind operators not to charge the HV battery above 80% state of charge. Depending on the vehicle configuration and online connectivity, some vehicles may be configured to limit the maximum state of charge of the high-voltage battery to 80 percent,” reads a portion of the recall documents. Affected owners are expected to be notified of the recall via letter starting Nov. 27. Vehicle Identification Numbers involved in this recall became searchable on the NHTSA website on Oct. 6. For more information, owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-893-5298.50,000 Volkswagen drivers warned their vehicle may stall over a software issue: What to knowTop automaker recalls thousands of cars over defect that can trap passengersAudi, Volkswagen drivers warned of recall over issue that causes a loss of steering controlOver 97,000 popular SUVs recalled over detaching roof racks: What drivers need to knowPossible loss of drive power leads to recall of thousands of electric Toyota vehiclesMatt has been a trending news reporter since 2016. He covers a range of topics while focusing on national lottery, automotive news and recalls, FBI warnings, scam alerts and national real estate trends....