Products Liability Law Daily Wrap Up, NHTSA NEWS—ODI INVESTIGATION—ODI to probe recall remedy for door handle malfunctions in Volkswagen ID.4 vehicles, (Jun 3, 2024)
Organizations Mentioned:Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
By Susan Engstrom
Complainants allege inadvertent opening of doors on remedied vehicles.
A recall query has been opened by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) to assess the remedy effectiveness of recalls addressing water intrusion and inadvertent opening of doors in model year (MY) 2021-2023 Volkswagen ID.4 vehicles. ODI received 12 complaints alleging door handle malfunctions on vehicles that had received the recall remedy. About 51,500 vehicles are potentially involved (NHTSA ODI Investigation, No. RQ24010, May 16, 2024).
Complaints. Some consumers report that the vehicle’s door intermittently opens while the vehicle is in motion, with no reasonable detectability. Consumers also report that the door handles will not allow occupants to enter or exit the vehicle. Inadvertent opening of doors while the vehicle is being driven has a high risk of occupant ejection or excessive intrusion in a side impact collision. To date, no injuries or fatalities have been associated with this issue.
Recalls. To address issues of water intrusion in MY 2021–2023 ID.4s, VW issued recalls 23V213 and 23V312. The automaker indicated that the recalled population had been built with door handles that did not meet manufacturer specifications for protection against water ingress, which can lead to door handle malfunctions such as causing an “open command” to the door handle. The door could open unexpectedly when the vehicle is subject to high lateral forces at speeds below 9 mph (15 kmh). The recall remedies for 23V213 and 23V312 require the technician to inspect each door handle and replace them, if necessary. Also, a vehicle software update is performed to update the door handle operating parameters. VW issued two separate recalls for the affected vehicles because there were two different suppliers of the door handle assemblies. ODI opened this recall query to evaluate the effectiveness of the recalls’ remedies.
Companies: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
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