Washington, D.C. – July 3, 2024 – The U.S. government’s auto safety regulator is investigating Volkswagen (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) whose car doors may open while driving. This ups the risk of a side collision and could lead to a recall of 51,500 2021-2023 Volkswagen ID.4 electric cars. 

The affected vehicles were already recalled two separate times but it appears that the remedy was not sufficient.

Investigation summary  

The regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), opened an investigation on May 16, following 13 complaints of doors opening inadvertently while the vehicle was in motion. Some occupants could not open or close the doors due to inoperable door handles. 

This investigation aims to find out if the repairs carried out during the recalls were sufficient.  

Risks

The defect augments the risk of a side collision.

“Windows covered with water”

One driver complained that the issue escalated from a simple “annoyance” to a “scary safety hazard.” While stopped at the green light, he could not start the car after a door opened on its own and got stuck, preventing him from closing it to get the car going.

Another said that that when she rolled the windows “down then up,” they would be “covered with water.”

Background of the investigation

The door handles on these vehicles were the cause of two previous recalls, one of which took place in May of last year.

Other Volkswagen recalls 

The cars involved in the investigation were recalled in June due to malfunctioning displays, as reported.

In December, Volkswagen recalled I.D4 cars due to sunshades that were deemed flammable, also as reported.

Is your vehicle part of a recall?

If this investigation results in another Volkswagen door handle recall, it could affect approximately 50,000 electric cars. To do a Volkswagen recall check and see if your car is affected by this, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.