Volkswagen will recall 22,524 ID.4 electric SUVs in the United States from model years 2023 to 2026 after the German automaker identified a fire risk tied to high-voltage batteries supplied by SK Battery America.

The action, filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration under reference 26V630, marks VW's third ID.4 battery-related recall within a calendar year. It is the second ID.4 campaign filed in 2026 alone.

What changed for ID.4 owners?

According to Volkswagen's filing, certain high-voltage batteries can experience thermal runaway when specific charging profiles combine with a state of charge above 80 percent. In the worst case, this could lead to a vehicle fire.

The manufacturer has not yet clarified the root cause. As an interim measure, VW recommends owners cap charging at 80 percent. Depending on vehicle configuration and online connectivity, VW may also impose the 80-percent ceiling remotely, the filing shows. In-vehicle warning messages will accompany the temporary cap.

Volkswagen estimates that roughly 0.1 percent of recalled vehicles — about 23 units — actually carry the defect. The supplier of the affected battery cells is SK Battery America, the company told NHTSA.

How does this connect to the prior recalls?

The new action follows two US recalls initiated in January covering a combined 44,551 ID.4 vehicles. Those campaigns traced the fault to misaligned electrodes inside cells from the same supplier.

This time the cells again come from SK Battery America, but the precise defect inside the new battery population has not been isolated. "Certain charging profiles combined with a state of charge exceeding 80 per cent can trigger thermal runaway," according to Volkswagen's filing.

Between January 2024 and August 2026, VW received 22 related reports or complaints in the US. The investigation opened in June. In September, VW's Product Safety Committee concluded that a voluntary recall was warranted even before a root cause was identified.

The recall carries VW code 93EX. First owner notifications are expected by 27 November.

What about the parallel seatbelt actions in Germany?

In a technically separate matter, VW is recalling 1,109 ID. Polo units worldwide — 239 in Germany — over a front-passenger seatbelt that may not be correctly anchored to the B-pillar. Production dates run from 21 July to 3 September 2026. The KBA reference is 17099R, and VW's internal code is 69G1.

Cupra, the Spanish VW Group brand, is recalling 10,151 Raval and Terramar vehicles worldwide — 1,936 in Germany — over front seatbelts potentially mis-secured at the lower anchor point. Those vehicles were built between 7 June 2025 and 3 September 2026, under KBA reference 17072R and VW action code 69C8.

Both campaigns involve workshop inspection and, where necessary, seatbelt replacement. Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has logged no reports of property damage or injuries linked to either defect.

What to watch next

The ID.4 campaign turns on three dates: the 27 November notification mailing, VW's eventual identification of the root cause, and the rollout of a permanent remedy. Owners should expect charging restrictions to remain in place until the final fix is announced. For suppliers, SK Battery America's repeated involvement in two battery-related recalls in a single year puts the cell maker under renewed scrutiny from US and German regulators.