Collision Avoidance complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
On [redacted], I was parking my 2025 VW ID.4 car in a parking spot in B mode and applying the brake to come to a stop. The car suddenly accelerated forward (of its own will) at maximum speed such that the car ran over a bollard, a sidewalk and into a brick wall causing significant damage. In the space of perhaps 10 feet at most the car went from a stopping position to taking out a brick wall on a commercial building. This is so incredibly dangerous as someone could have been on the sidewalk and killed. I could have been killed as my airbag never deployed despite charging with great speed into a brick wall! NHTSA must do something to resolve this. VW has overwhelming knowledge of this defect. In June 2025 a class action lawsuit was filed against the VW for this exact reason - link here: [redacted] Per the lawsuit there have been deaths related to this defect. …
The vehicle launched forward while parking going thru a CMU wall, causing considerable damage to the structure and the car itself. Airbag was deployed injuring the driver and causing a cut in the bottom lip and skin burns on the left hand from a small fire that went thru the clothes. Also, the driver was in state of shock after the incident due to the speed at which everything occurred. During the day, the driver complained about dizziness and pain at the base of the neck, numbness/pain in the face. Additionally, the driver pressed the brake pedal to try to avoid the crash but did not prevent the car from launching forward. It appears that the capacitive controls located on the left side of the steering wheel, were inadvertently reengaged while the driver was maneuvering to park. …
While attempting to park in my driveway, the vehicle experienced a complete loss of braking. The brake pedal did not stop the vehicle, and pressing the electronic parking brake switch had no effect. The vehicle continued forward and crashed through my closed garage door. The only reason it stopped was because it struck another vehicle parked inside my garage. That impact pushed the parked vehicle into my garage refrigerator, which then damaged the drywall on the garage wall adjacent to my bedroom. None of the safety systems functioned as expected. The parking sensors did not activate, there were no proximity warnings, and the automatic emergency braking system did not engage. After the crash, I exited the vehicle, but it remained powered on instead of shutting down automatically. It only turned off after I got back into the vehicle and exited multiple times. …
Subject: Serious Safety and Electrical Problems - Request for Buyback or Replacement Dear [Manufacturer Name or Dealer Name], I leased my vehicle in January 2025, and since the very beginning I have experienced multiple serious problems. Right after taking the car from the dealership, it had an electrical failure - it completely shut down and had to be towed by a tow truck. After that incident, the vehicle has constantly shown computer warning messages such as "switch control deactivated," "key not recognized," "rear motor malfunction," and other system errors. I have taken the vehicle to the dealership several times, and they always said it was due to a recall, but they never gave me a permanent solution. They kept telling me the vehicle was safe to drive. …
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 S. The contact stated that while coming to a stop at 7MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle accelerated. The contact then attempted to switch lanes but crashed into the vehicle in front at 20mph. The air bag did not deploy. There were no injuries reported. No police report was filed. The vehicle did not display any warning messages. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired as of yet. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 200.
I have never been in a car accident in my entire life. This was my first ever electric vehicle, and I really loved driving it for the one week I owned it before the brakes failed to stop it. On 03/31 I had to restart the software several times because it froze when i was trying to connect it to Apple Carplay, but it was fine the next day. During the crash, I had the brake collision assistance on, but unfortunately it did not assist me in trying to stop, even when I pressed down on the brake pedal completely. When I tried to turn the steering wheel, that had locked and I was unable to avoid hitting a sign and curb. The road I had the incident on is the one I take to work every day and I have never had an issue. There was no issues with the weather on that day ether. …
I was turning into a parking spot in front of the entry doors to a Sheetz convenience store. I was slowing down, and had gotten halfway into the space. All of a sudden, the car surged forward, went over the curb and hit the bollard in front of the parking space. It was hit with such force that the bollard bent and went under our car. My memory is that I was pressing on the brake very hard, once the acceleration started. My husband was in the car with me and can attest to all that I have stated. If that bollard had not been there, and stopped my car, I feel certain that my car would have crashed into the store, seriously injuring (or killing) us and those inside the store. We are planning to report the accident to Volkswagen, and to request that they test the "black box" inside the car, to see if they can find out what went wrong. …
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen ID.4. The contact stated that there was a message to update the software displayed. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle came to a complete stop. While driving at various speeds, the camera and the infotainment screen were inoperable. The vehicle failed to start as needed. While the vehicle was idling, all the doors were locked, with the contact holding a key fob. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V344000 (Back Over Prevention, Equipment, Electric System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. …
Related recalls (4)
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023 ID.4 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse or when the park function is manually activated.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the peripheral camera control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 26, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Back over prevention › Display function
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 ID.4 vehicles. The replacement infotainment central control unit (CCU) installed in the vehicle during a repair contains incorrect software that can cause the rearview camera image to be delayed or deactivated when reversing.
Remedy: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Back over prevention › Display function
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf R A8, Audi S3, RS3 Sedan, Q4 E-Tron SUV, A3 Sedan, and 2022-2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI, and ID4 vehicles. The rearview camera image may be blank or unresponsive when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear or when the park function is manually activated.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed to Audi owners February 14, 2023.
Back over prevention › Software
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 ID4 vehicles. The rearview camera image may be delayed or deactivated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will update the vehicle's software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 17, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Frequently asked questions
Which Volkswagen ID.4 years have collision avoidance problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2023 (122), 2021 (64), 2022 (35), 2024 (9) and 2025 (8) model years. Collision Avoidance complaints make up 26% of all complaints for the 2023.
Is there a recall for Volkswagen ID.4 collision avoidance problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 24V-875 (camera, Nov 20, 2024); 23V-436 (display function, Jun 21, 2023); 22V-823 (display function, Nov 2, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Volkswagen ID.4 collision avoidance problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 13,000 miles; 90% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the warnings (85 mentions), followed by the adaptive cruise control (75).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.