Volkswagen ID.4 production halted in the US after its doors wouldn’t stay closed

A few months ago, I was driving my 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 when, seemingly out of nowhere, my driver-side door made several unusual clicking noises and then popped open.

“That’s not good,” I thought, as I quickly shut the door while also attempting to keep my hands on the wheel. And apparently, I wasn’t the only one experiencing this problem. Hundreds of other VW owners were also struggling to keep their doors closed while driving.

The issue culminated this week with VW halting production of the all-electric ID.4 at its factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as it scrambles to find a fix for the faulty electronic door mechanism. According to the recall, water was seeping into the door and shorting out the electronics, causing the circuitry to issue a faulty “open command.”

As a fix, VW said it would replace the door handles at no cost to the owners and would issue a software update to improve the “door parameters.”

Earlier this week, VW recalled nearly 100,000 ID.4 vehicles, as well as issued a stop-sale order for the electric crossover. Starting September 23rd, around 200 workers at the Tennessee factory will be furloughed as a result of the production pause, a spokesperson for the company said.

“While we address the issue, we are focused on doing right by our employees, dealers and consumers through this disruption,” said VW spokesperson Mark Gillies in a statement.

And it comes as a pretty bad time for the German company, which is struggling to stay competitive in the face of the looming threat from China. Earlier this month, VW signaled it could close several factories in Europe for the first time ever in a bid to cut 10 billion euros from its balance sheets.

Like most other automakers, VW has walked back from its EVs-only strategy in recent months, saying it will rely more on plug-in hybrids to achieve its climate goals. But Gillies said that the stop-production order shouldn’t be misconstrued as an abandonment of the company’s EV commitments.

“This disruption in no way changes our commitment to the ID.4 and our growing BEV portfolio,” he said. “The ID.4 remains one of America’s best-selling electric vehicles.”