Is the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 a bad year?
340 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other ID.4 years.
Keep it
Engine and transmission complaints for the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 are in line with other ID.4 years. Electrical system stands out for this year: see below.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2021 ID.4 owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 23,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemSTANDS OUT | 182 (54%) | 10k–39k miles · around this mileage | 12-volt battery replacement $100–$400 · Starter motor replacement $350–$1,200 |
| Collision avoidance | 40 (12%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Brakes | 37 (11%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Body structure | 36 (11%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Speed control | 36 (11%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Fuel system | 25 (7%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Transmission and drivetrain | 23 (7%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Backup camera | 18 (5%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Engine | 17 (5%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Steering | 17 (5%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Air bags | 12 (4%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Lane assist | 12 (4%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Exterior lighting | 10 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Equipment | 9 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 23,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 340 complaints: 28 mention a crash · 1 mentions a fire · 15 report an injury · 25 say the car was towed.
56 complaints were filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Nov 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
Recalls for the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4: 11
The instrument panel may not properly display the transmission gear lever indicator. Failure to display the gear position may result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not engaged, increasing the risk of a crash.
The door handles may allow water to enter the circuit board assembly, which can cause the doors to open unexpectedly. A vehicle door that opens unexpectedly while driving increases the risk of injury.
Due to a software issue, affected vehicles may experience center displays and instrument panel displays that do not boot, or that sporadically reset. This can result in loss of speedometer information or loss of rearview camera image. Displays that do not show critical information, such as vehicle speed or the rearview camera image, increase the risk of a crash.
The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with door handles that allow water to enter the circuit board assembly, which can cause the doors to open unexpectedly when the vehicle is subject to high lateral forces at speeds below 9 mph/15 kmh. A vehicle door that opens unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion increases the risk of injury.
Software programing may cause the high voltage (HV) battery management control module to restart or the pulse inverter to deactivate. A reset or deactivation may cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
The passenger air bag may be incorrectly folded. An incorrectly folded air bag may not protect the occupant as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Incorrect soldering of the flexible printed circuit assembled (FPCA), inside the high voltage (HV) battery, may cause an unreliable connection. An unreliable battery connection may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The steering gear may have an incorrectly assembled or missing drive bushing. An incorrectly assembled or missing drive bushing may cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Incorrect rear outboard seat belt assemblies without an automatic locking retractor (ALR) function may have been installed, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Caps were installed on the headlight vertical aim instead of the horizontal aim, allowing for horizontal adjustment of the headlight beam. Adjusting the horizontal headlight beam can increase glare, reducing visibility for the driver and increasing the risk of a crash.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Volkswagen: 324
Repair instructions Volkswagen sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
How to check for HVAC system leaks using nitrogen
MIL-on, P0442 stored in ECM memory
This communication is a notice for software changes with the ODIS program to correct the ECM Coding/Software configuration test plan that is failing
During vehicle inspection, maintenance, or repair, one or more diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) are found to be logged in various control units…
NHTSA defect investigations: 2
Inadvertent Door Opening
Pedestrian alert sounds
Neighbouring years
2022 ID.4: 137 complaints, keep it.
Every Volkswagen ID.4 year
2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026 · All ID.4 years side by side
Other Volkswagen models: Volkswagen Atlas · Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport · Volkswagen Beetle · Volkswagen CC · Volkswagen Eos · Volkswagen GTI · Volkswagen Golf · Volkswagen Golf SportWagen · Volkswagen Jetta · Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen · Volkswagen Passat · Volkswagen Rabbit · Volkswagen Routan · Volkswagen Taos · Volkswagen Tiguan · Volkswagen Touareg. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 a bad year?
340 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other ID.4 years. At 23,000 miles the tool says: Keep it.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: electrical system (182), collision avoidance (40), brakes (37), body structure (36), speed control (36).
How many recalls does the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 have?
11 recall campaigns list this model year: Brakes (NHTSA 25V-120), Body structure (NHTSA 24V-651), Equipment (NHTSA 24V-344), Body structure (NHTSA 23V-312) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.