Volkswagen Recalls Thousands of EVs Over Gear Display Issue
Volkswagen has issued a recall for over 60,000 electric vehicles in the United States because of a potentially hazardous display error.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Friday that the German car manufacturer’s vehicles are experiencing a problem where they may not display certain gear options. This can lead to the cars rolling away if the emergency parking brake hasn’t been activated.
The recall affects the Volkswagen ID.4 and the Audi Q4 e-tron, both of which are electric vehicles. According to the NHTSA, 60,490 vehicles are being recalled.
The Q4 e-Tron Sportback models are also impacted by the recall due to the same software issue.
Volkswagen, which took full ownership of Audi in 1966, indicated that it first became aware of the issue in August after five cases were recorded outside of the U.S. The company has urged drivers to ensure their parking brakes are fully engaged, until they are able to have their cars serviced to fix the issue. Owners can contact their local dealers for more information.
Previously this month, the company had already issued another recall for 30,000 vehicles in the U.S. This was due to the rearview mirror display not functioning properly.
Those vehicles subject to the rearview mirror display issue include the Audi Q3, and some Volkswagen Tiguan and Arteon cars. The specific models involved were 2022-2024 Tiguans, 2023 Arteons, and 2024-2025 Audi Q3s.
Due to the issue, the rearview camera image reads as ‘not displaying as intended.’
“A rearview camera image that is not available when reversing may impair the driver’s ability to see areas to the rear of the vehicle,”
the recall notice stated. “This can increase the risk of a crash.”
Owners of the vehicles will be receiving letters in the mail by April 11, with dealerships prepared to fix the issue. In June, the car manufacturer recalled more than 271,000 SUVs due to concerns the front passenger air bag may not inflate in a crash.
The recall covered certain Atlas SUVs from the 2021 to 2024 model years, and some 2020-2024 Atlas Cross Sport SUVs.
Volkswagen advised that the wiring under the front passenger seat can develop a defect which in turn can deactivate the sensor determining if a passenger was onboard; leaving the air-bag dysfunctional and increasing the chances of an injury, in a crash.
At the time, Volkswagen suggested that owners avoid using the front passenger seat if possible until the repairs were completed. The company said that dealers would replace the sensor and wiring harnesses at no charge to owners, with owners receiving letters advising them of the problems in August.
