[Golf26]

I know this is a difficult question to answer and I don’t even know how to evaluate the responses, but I wanted to ask before I made my purchase:

Safety is my number one priority. I have read the official safety testing results and they are great. My question is, however, given the new tech/first generation issues, is there any real reason to believe that the ID4 may present more true safety issues than a long-standing ICE?

I can deal with tech and charging issues, but it gives me pause when I read about power failing and cars stopping on the highway, cars rolling backwards, etc.

Many of you have had your vehicles for a long time and have been on this forum for much longer than I have. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

 

[ChristophW]

Like you, I really appreciate the excellent crash test and safety results we now have for the ID4. It is by far the safest vehicle I have ever owned. In terms of other issues you read here, I see very few, if any, of them as safety issues. My own ID4 is now 6.5 months old, and other than one glitch with rolling a foot back and forth in our driveway after stopping, we have had zero issues. That incident I am still not convinced was the ID4 on its own. Much more likely the driver was a little confused with the new (to her) controls. We have learned to anticipate a slight tug on the wheel when approaching a lane bifurcation and the car doesn't agree with the chosen path. No biggie - I recently quizzed my wife about this too. Compared to a Tesla the ID4 doesn't have phantom braking events when on Travel Assist. Also, no other sudden stops unless called for (we had a car almost clipping us in a parking lot and the ID4 caught it and slammed the brakes before the human on the wheel).
So all told, from this owner zero concerns, only compliments when it comes to safety.

 

[KatEV]

No and I've had mine for 6 months. It does roll back slightly sometimes when you don't want it to, but I've gotten used to it (kind of treat it like a stick shift). I have had several times where the car's safety features have saved me from a possible bad situation b/c I can be a distracted driver.

 

[JPWhite]

I can deal with tech and charging issues, but it gives me pause when I read about power failing and cars stopping on the highway, cars rolling backwards, etc.

Power failing. I've been in many an old ICE car and the dash go black and the car stop running. Typically bad alternator.
Cars stopping on the road. That can happen to any car ICE or EV.
Cars rolling backwards. Hill start with a stick is a driving skill many do not have and they roll backwards.

If you look for problems long enough you will find them. No car is perfect.

EV's are typically super safe thanks to the low center of gravity which improves road handling and resists roll over.

 

[Dana]

For sure ID.4 has received more crash testing than most models ever see - 2 in US and 1 in Europe. The lane keep feature a lot of folks find annoying, including me, so I turn it off after starting the car. The problem is that one has to do this each time they start the car as otherwise it reverts back to being on. Also, I'm not sure on this as I seldom use adaptive cruise control, but it seems to me if I turn off lane keep then it also turns off adaptive cruise control. Maybe in the future VW will do a software update that corrects those two issues. I think adaptive cruise control can be a safety advantage. In my opinion the lane keep in ID.4 can contribute to about as many accidents as it prevents, assuming the driver is proficient and got enough sleep. I have 14K miles (mostly freeway) on my car and I feel it's the best and safest I've owned. Most days I drive by one or more accidents often involving multiple cars/trucks/buses. I find that my Pro can stop quite quickly if one steps really hard on the brake pedal, but it seems to me that more force is required than in most cars. So this could be a problem for some, especially if they aren't feeling well or have weak muscles.
So on ID.4 it's a good idea to keep a fairly long following distance. One of the best safety features in the ID.4 is the large, wide outside mirrors which combined with large blind spot warning lights makes lane changing safer than in most all other cars (you know, the ones where you have to say a prayer when changing lanes).

 

[Nai3t]

Biggest safety concern is it is conditioning me to not put my ICE car into Park after parking (thankfully my Flex has an insistent and unignorable reminder, but it's been happening an awful lot lately).

But no, driving the ID.4 since March and set issues which cause me ~actual~ cause or concern.

 

[Spin]

Almost 8 months and over 11,000 miles and the only safety issue I had was the loss of the speedometer while on a road trip. I used a speedometer app on my phone and the next morning the problem corrected itself.

 

[Huey52]

Almost 8 months as well and zero safety issues. I've adjusted to the roll back and consider that an operator action rather than a safety concern, although hopefully hill hold will come with a software update. I too anticipate the slight tug on the wheel when approaching a lane bifurcation (great word Christoph!).

I've had almost none of the anomalies you read on this forum and elsewhere. I do now await full Infotainment system boot up however before applying the brake and quickly thereafter switching into gear.

If you view the many 'tube road trip videos you'll note they have no issues as well. They just get in and drive.

 

[Spin]

I too anticipate the slight tug on the wheel when approaching a lane bifurcation (great word Christoph!).

Believe it or not, I didn't have to look this one up!!

 

[Huey52]

Who says engineers can't be literate?

Believe it or not, I didn't have to look this one up!!

 

[Ben V]

I know this is a difficult question to answer and I don’t even know how to evaluate the responses, but I wanted to ask before I made my purchase:

Safety is my number one priority. I have read the official safety testing results and they are great. My question is, however, given the new tech/first generation issues, is there any real reason to believe that the ID4 may present more true safety issues than a long-standing ICE?

I can deal with tech and charging issues, but it gives me pause when I read about power failing and cars stopping on the highway, cars rolling backwards, etc.

Many of you have had your vehicles for a long time and have been on this forum for much longer than I have. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

I've had my car for only 3 weeks and because perspective is everything, my previous car was a basic 12 year old Honda Element which had no features at all... so my ID4 has been a-ma-zing. For safety related items, I think the car is much more comfortable and responsive which makes me a more relaxed driver. The blind corner indicators are incredibly useful so I don't change lanes without realizing I'm too close to a car in the lane I want to enter.
The Lane Keep assist I find not annoying at all, I have never had an issue with it. On my way to work there is all of a sudden a narrow but deep and dark groove in a lane and the car thinks it's a lane marker and it gives the steering wheel a pull. It isn't a problem but it guides the car to a direction where I don't want to be but it easy to control the car and steer it where I want it. It all sounds much worse than it really is.

The adaptive cruise control with Travel Assist (the car steers and controls speed) works great and I use it by default when I'm on the freeway.

The backup camera is something that people complain about when it's dark but I find it just fine, the rear lights give enough light for you to see where you are going. I mean, we're not trying to have a camera to take high resolution pics, we're trying not to hit anything...

So far for me, I have nothing bad to say about the car (safety features related nor anything else). I'm excited everytime I get in and start driving.

 

[Spin]

The backup camera is something that people complain about when it's dark but I find it just fine, the rear lights give enough light for you to see where you are going. I mean, we're not trying to have a camera to take high resolution pics, we're trying not to hit anything...

This hood is well worth installing. It makes a big difference!!

Backup Camera Hood to Brighten the Night

I've been busy creating and refining a design for a hood to shield the backup camera from the light that can cause a dark backup display at night. Creating this product has been surprisingly educational as my testers helped me sort through all the important issues of adding a hood to the rear...

www.vwidtalk.com

 

[Dana]

In my post above I forgot to mention some other safety features of the ID.4. It's heavy, so in a head-on with say a Chevy Bolt EV the ID.4 driver/passengers have a better chance of walking away. Also, my Pro sometimes gives me a warning of a "wrong way driver" on such and such freeway (believe this shows up on driver's binnacle along with a warning sound). This is good to know info as on SF Bay Area freeways it really does happen - 4 times over the years a vehicle has come straight at me, terrifying.... Plus the driver's binnacle shows posted speed limit which is great. Like my ID.4 tells me that the speed limit is only 55 mph on Dumbarton Br., something this dummy used to forget, so I now tone it down some. BEV cars where I live can get a 50% discount on toll lanes (for a solo driver) with the proper transponder, and the toll lanes are safer because they are less congested and only have traffic on one side. Most EV's with decals can use the carpool lane (with just a driver in car) which is safer for same reasons mentioned above for toll lanes.
IMO the one safety weakness of the ID.4 is that the power brakes could use more boost. Tesla uses a vacuum system I think -- not sure about ID.4. Another reason to get a BEV is that the government just passed a bill that provides funds for building many more charging stations -- eventually maybe it will be tough for ICE vehicles to find a gas station.
Oh, another safety feature of ID.4 is its small turning radius. How often have you seen a car backing up when making a u-turn just as a car appears or the light turns green?

 

[Huey52]

A couple days ago I was intentionally hugging the left side of my garage entry but the ID.4 determined I was too close and slammed on the brakes. So if anything, and if even possible to so phrase, the ID.4 is too safe at times.

 

[Mark Magiera]

7 months in & 12,600. Some minor recall issues & an ECM replacement & a monitor replacement. Still the quietest car I have ever owned. Drove in 3 snow events in March & April for commutes with stock slicks in Vermont. No problem. Anyone who has driven a RWD Delta 88 Olds in the 80's, on snow, this car has the same feeling with a stiffer VW like ride... I am comfortable with the car & feel safe for myself & my family. Decision is yours.

 

[Dana]

A couple days ago I was intentionally hugging the left side of my garage entry but the ID.4 determined I was too close and slammed on the brakes.

Yeah, but that might be better than the alternative. I know someone who clipped the driver's outside mirror backing out of a garage in an expensive BMW. So what, the body shop can fix it, right? No, the A Pillar was damaged as well from the mirror breaking off and there was no way to get it fixed properly, or at least the highly rated body shop wasn't inclined to try. (And I'm glad they didn't as welding in a new structural piece or something might have made it even more unsafe). The repaired car looked like new, and most people would be pleased with the results. The truth remains that cars repaired after accidents are sometimes, if not usually, less safe after the repair than they were before the accident. It's a dark little secret between body shops and insurance companies.... So I'm okay if my ID.4 sometimes gives me a false alarm as it may eventually save me from an accident.

 

[VW TECHNICIAN]

What is wrong with.
Turn signal
Look your side mirror
Look your blind spot.
And start changing lines if everything is good.

 

[MurrietaID4]

The car rolls backwards at a stop on hilly roads. This is all of California. Even in mcdonalds drive thru, the car will roll backwards. really stupid for this type of car to roll backwards like a 3 speed manual Ford Pinto.

 

[VW TECHNICIAN]

Y

The car rolls backwards at a stop on hilly roads. This is all of California. Even in mcdonalds drive thru, the car will roll backwards. really stupid for this type of car to roll backwards like a 3 speed manual Ford Pinto.

Your foot reaction is to slow....and if you don't apply enough pressure on foot brakes it will be between no power to propulsion unit and not enough hydraulic pressure to the brakes.
Try to change you habits and all will be fine.
If you get of the brakes quick it will energize propulsion unit and it will start moving forward irrelevant how steep hill it is.

 

[Jon B. Ross]

I know this is a difficult question to answer and I don’t even know how to evaluate the responses, but I wanted to ask before I made my purchase:

Safety is my number one priority. I have read the official safety testing results and they are great. My question is, however, given the new tech/first generation issues, is there any real reason to believe that the ID4 may present more true safety issues than a long-standing ICE?

I can deal with tech and charging issues, but it gives me pause when I read about power failing and cars stopping on the highway, cars rolling backwards, etc.

Many of you have had your vehicles for a long time and have been on this forum for much longer than I have. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

We have had our car for a month now and done 3000 kms in it in all sortsof weathee and terrain - and we have tested all the assisting tech: We find the ID.4 (GTX) extremely safe, acutely aware of its surroundings and exceptionally well-planted and assuring to drive.