Volkswagen sued over dangerous ID.4 batteries (3 photos)
Like several other electric vehicles in the US market, the Volkswagen ID.4 suffered a setback after the repeal of tax incentives. Sales plummeted 61.6% in the fourth quarter of 2025, prompting the company's management to completely withdraw the model from overseas sales. Production at the Chattanooga plant ceased this spring, and dealers are now clearing out their inventory. The ID.4's troubles aren't over yet. 
Several owners have filed a class action lawsuit against Volkswagen over problematic batteries and the car's inability to operate as advertised, according to Autoblog.com.
As it turned out, a defect occurred during the production of lithium-ion batteries by SK Battery America (a subsidiary of South Korean SK On)—electrode displacement within the cells. This became apparent back in the winter of 2024, when complaints began to come in about traction batteries overheating when using DC fast charging, and several cases of spontaneous combustion without casualties were noted. This ultimately led to the recall of over 100,000 ID.4 vehicles from the 2023–2025 model years.
As a precaution, the safe charge level of these vehicles' batteries was limited to 80% until they were inspected and replaced if necessary. ID.4 owners were advised not to charge their vehicles at night or use high-power DC charging stations.
This, in fact, is the crux of the customer lawsuits. The plaintiffs claim that without fast charging, electric vehicles are pointless, and that the capacity limitation has reduced the already limited real-world range to critical levels (less than 300 km). By marketing the ID.4 as the future of the automotive industry and a reliable long-term investment, Volkswagen deliberately misled buyers, while in fact, due to massive recalls and official fire hazard warnings, the market value of used ID.4s has plummeted. 
