The Volkswagen Group is recalling a couple of its all-electric models to correct a potentially serious safety issue. The Audi Q4 E-Tron utility vehicle and more avant-garde
Q4 E-Tron
Sportback as well as the VW ID.4 SUV have a potential electrical problem with the charger that provides juice to the 12-volt battery. If there’s an issue with this system, vehicles may lose drive power, which is a huge problem, especially if you’re, for instance, zipping along on the highway or trying to pass a slow-moving truck on a two-lane road.
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A Loss Of Driving Power Can Be Dangerous
Of course, a loss of drive power can greatly increase the risk of a crash, and nobody wants that. This recall was posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on February 28. The action potentially applies to as many as 13,769 vehicles, though the automaker estimates only 10 percent may be affected. Afflicted Audis will be from the 2024 and ’25 model years, while this action applies to Volkswagen ID.4s from model year ’24.
Going into greater detail, according to the NHTSA safety recall report, in affected vehicles “condensation may form within the onboard charger with integrated DC/DC-converter (OCDC), causing electromigration on the printed circuit board (PCB) due to insufficient protective coating of the complete area. The OCDC may fail and not charge the 12V battery.” As mentioned, this can lead to a loss of drive power as well as a no-start condition.
According to NHTSA, the affected vehicle population “was determined by reviewing supplier and production records to identify vehicles built with parts with insufficient coating. Vehicles not included in this recall were built with parts with improved coating.” These power converters appear to have been manufactured in Hungary by the enormous automotive supplier company Bosch. The remedy for this potential issue is, at least on paper, a simple fix. Dealerships will replace the onboard chargers (OCDC) in affected vehicles. Naturally, this work will be performed free of charge.
Additional Recall Details
The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 25V125000, while Audi’s internal recall number is 93FR, and VW’s is 93CJ. If you own an Audi Q4 E-Tron or Volkswagen ID.4 that’s affected by this callback, you can contact the NHTSA safety hotline at 888-327-4236 or visit NHTSA.gov. Additionally, owners can reach out to Audi customer service by calling 1-800-253-2834 or VW at 1-800-893-5298.
Owners of affected vehicles can expect to receive an official recall notice from these automakers soon. They’re expected to be mailed out around April 29.