- Some Volkswagen ID.4 and Audi Q4 E-Tron EVs may lose power while driving.
- The cause is a damaged onboard 12-volt battery charger.
- To fix the issue, Volkswagen Group of America is recalling nearly 14,000 cars.
Volkswagen Group of America is recalling nearly 14,000 electric vehicles in the United States because 12-volt battery chargers may fail and lead to a loss of power while driving.
In total, 13,769 cars are affected, including the 2024 Volkswagen ID.4, 2024-2025 Audi Q4 E-Tron and 2024-2025 Audi Q4 E-Tron Sportback. According to documents posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website, 10% of vehicles within the recall population are estimated to be defective.
The problem is caused by condensation that may form inside the onboard charger with an integrated DC-to-DC converter (OCDC). This can cause electromigration on the circuit board due to insufficient protective coating. Because of this, the OCDC may fail to charge the low-voltage battery which powers several accessories and safety functions.
As per the NHTSA report, if the 12V battery is discharged, the car may fail to start. If the low-voltage battery is depleted while driving, the car might lose motive power, which increases the risk of a crash. Before the EV loses drive power, the driver will receive several warnings, including various malfunction indicators in the instrument cluster, audible chimes and warning messages.
To fix the issue, Volkswagen and Audi dealers will replace the OCDC with an improved model for free. Volkswagen Group of America received 244 claims regarding this issue in the United States, with 127 from Volkswagen ID.4 owners and 117 from Audi owners.
This recall is similar to that issued by Hyundai, Kia and Genesis regarding the so-called Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU). The latter affects over 200,000 vehicles in the U.S. and has a different cause—overvoltage induced at the start and end of the 12V battery charging cycle and from thermal loading during charging and/or driving. In Hyundai’s case, the fix comes in the form of a software update and, if necessary, a new ICCU.
