Volkswagen is facing a potential class-action lawsuit over the capacitive touch buttons in the 2021-2023 ID.4. The complaintfiled in New Jersey by two owners, alleges that the vehicle’s steering wheel controls are defective for being too sensitive and can easily reactivate the adaptive cruise control with “a mere light brush of the hand over the steering wheel’s haptic controls.”
One owner experienced her ID.4 accelerating when pulling into a parking space after their hand brushed against the sensor. The accident caused over $14,000 in damage to the EV’s undercarriage and injured the driver’s hand. The other owner collided with their garage while trying to park, damaging the door and the electric vehicle.
Despite only two people being named as plaintiffs, the filing contains numerous complaints filed by other ID.4 owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The complaints highlight unintended acceleration issues, emergency braking system failures, and injuries resulting from crashes caused by those alleged problems. Many of the reports occurred while drivers were maneuvering to park, with many even acknowledging they might have brushed against the button.
Here’s one filed August 2023:
When leaving a neighborhood street, I turned the steering wheel approximately 180 degrees to pull out from a parking spot next to the curb. Upon releasing my grip a bit on the steering wheel (to let it rotate back to ‘straight’) my right thumb grazed the cruise control activation button (which is normally on the left side of the steering wheel). Since I had been using cruise control earlier in the drive, the cruise control resumed and the car accelerated without my providing any pedal input. Luckily I realized what had happened and pushed the brake pedal to cancel cruise control.
Others weren’t so lucky. Another complaint filed in January 2024 reported:
The car has now 3 times over the last year suddenly lurched forward while braking and pulling into a parking spot. The first time it went over a curb and into a yard. We thought it could be a mistake, but my wife, driving, has never had an accident in 40 years driving. Happened again, and we thought maybe it had something to do with cruise control and hepatic sensitive buttons. But we keep that system off unless we are on the highway. This time it lurched forward but she managed to get it to stop just as it touched the parked car in front. No damage. Foot was on the brake as coming to a stop. This car should not be allowed on the road.
The lawsuit alleges Volkswagen violated several warranty and consumer protection laws in Massachusetts and Connecticut due to this alleged defect. The automaker has already stated that it is discontinuing the technology in its vehicles due to complaints, but that doesn’t address the cars currently on the road.
