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A class action lawsuit claims Volkswagen ID.4 electric SUVs experience sudden acceleration because of “overly touch sensitive capacitive steering wheels.”
The 2021-2023 Volkswagen ID.4 steering wheel buttons/controls allegedly automatically engage the adaptive cruise control features.
This can supposedly occur “with a mere light brush of the hand over the steering wheel’s haptic controls,” causing sudden unintended acceleration.
According to the class action lawsuit, the VW ID.4’s steering wheels have controls for both driver assistance systems and the media systems. The controls for driver assistance are on the left side of the steering wheel while the controls for the media system are on the right side.
The lawsuit says the steering wheel cruise control buttons are capacitive, and a “light brush with one’s fingers or touch of the hand with low pressure over the controls on the wheel is enough to make the vehicle’s system reengage to its last set speed on cruise control.”
According to the VW ID.4 sudden acceleration lawsuit: “Plaintiffs have been involved in fatal crashes because of the Defect, leaving them terrified and hesitant to drive their Class Vehicles.”
The class action was filed by these plaintiffs.
Connecticut plaintiff Janice Beecher was pulling into a parking space in her 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 when the vehicle suddenly accelerated and went over a curb and hit a tree. The lawsuit says the undercarriage and wheels were damaged and her hand was bruised.
The plaintiff says the collision cost “$14,172, plus $742 for the cost of a rental vehicle, and $206 for Medicat scan of her hand. As a result of the damage, the Vehicle was in the VW authorized dealer’s repair shop for 100 days.”
Another sudden acceleration incident occurred in December 2024 while parking, but the plaintiff hit the brake pedal before a collision occurred.
The plaintiff says she wrote to Volkswagen in May 2024 to report the crash and request an investigation of her ID.4.
“In response, she received only a call and not an email, from Defendant’s representative stating that they did not find any data pertaining to the crash on the Class Vehicle’s EDR [event data recorder]. No results of this investigation were shared with Plaintiff Beecher in writing. Defendant did not pursue any further investigation of the crash.” — VW class action lawsuit
According to the plaintiff, the incidents were allegedly caused by “overly touch sensitive ACC controls on the steering wheel.” And she complains she would not have purchased the VW ID.4 if the automaker would have warned her about the steering wheel controls.
Massachusetts plaintiff Omar Hakkaoui owns a 2022 Volkswagen ID.4. When the vehicle had about 3,000 miles on it, his wife was pulling into their garage when the ID.4 accelerated and damaged the garage door. The lawsuit says the front of the ID.4 was “scratched.”
“Had Plaintiff Hakkaoui known that the vehicle spontaneously accelerated and led to severe crashes due to overly touch sensitive ACC controls on the steering wheel, Plaintiff Hakkaoui would not have purchased the Class Vehicle or would have paid less for it.” — VW ID.4 sudden acceleration lawsuit
Volkswagen said it couldn’t find any data about a crash on the ID.4 event data recorder, and a dealership said “there were no recalls available to address the Defect and that inspection showed no sign of any manufacturing shortcomings.”
The class action says investigations by Volkswagen conclude sudden unintended acceleration incidents are caused by driver error, such as pressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal.
The Volkswagen ID.4 sudden unintended acceleration class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey: Janice Beecher and Omar Hakkaoui v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
The plaintiffs are represented by Longman Law, P.C., Migliaccio & Rathod LLP, and Scott Hirsch Law Group, PLLC.