October 9, 2026, 12:09 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Volkswagen has issued a recall for 22,524 ID.4 vehicles in the United States. The affected model years are 2023 to 2026, built between January 1, 2023, and February 1, 2025. The reason: Certain high-voltage batteries can catch fire under specific conditions.
The affected vehicles are from the U.S. plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are equipped with batteries from SK Battery America, as reported by the trade magazine “Electrek.” ID.4 models from European or Chinese production and vehicles with batteries from LG Chem are not affected by the issue, according to Volkswagen.
What is the Problem?
In certain high-voltage batteries, specific charging profiles combined with a charge level over 80 percent can trigger a so-called thermal runaway. In this dangerous process, one battery cell overheats and causes neighboring cells to overheat–in the worst case, the entire battery pack can catch fire.
Between January 18, 2024, and August 7, 2026, VW in the U.S. received 22 complaints about this issue. On September 23, 2026, the manufacturer decided on a voluntary recall. The problem was first noticed on June 17, 2026, when engineers detected anomalies in insulation resistance and fast-charging performance.
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Which Vehicles are Specifically Affected?
The recall carries the internal number 93EX and the NHTSA campaign number 26V630. Three specific battery serial numbers are affected:
- 11K.915.599.A
- 11K.915.599.D
- 11K.915.592.D
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These batteries come from SK Battery America in Commerce, Georgia. Volkswagen estimates that only about 0.1 percent of the recalled vehicles actually have the defect–around 22 cars. This is already the second major battery recall for Volkswagen this year: In early 2026, the manufacturer had to recall nearly 100,000 electric vehicles worldwide.
What Should Owners Do?
ID.4 owners outside the U.S. need not worry, as the recall only applies to vehicles equipped with batteries from the U.S. manufacturer SK Battery America. In other countries–including Europe–batteries from LG are primarily used.
However, Volkswagen strongly recommends that all owners of affected vehicles do not charge the battery over 80 percent until a permanent solution is available. The risk increases, especially with frequent use of high-power fast-charging stations. As a temporary measure, dealers will place warning stickers in the vehicle, including on the dashboard and charging port. Depending on the vehicle configuration, Volkswagen can automatically limit the maximum charge to 80 percent via an update in some models.
Starting November 27, 2026, owners will receive notification letters detailing the safety risks. Once a final solution is developed, a second letter will follow.