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Driver's door will not open from outside

32K views 54 replies 28 participants last post by  rebeckahjefferson 
#1 ·
I parked my ID4 FE in a parking lot, locked the door and went into the restaurant. When I returned, the lights flashed, mirror extended as normal. But when I tried to open the driver's door, it would not open. All other doors opened as normal, but the driver's door remained locked. I had to climb over from the passenger side to get into the car. When I got home, the door still would not open. After letting the car sit for a few hours, the door now opened. This happened again the next day. Has anyone else experienced this issue?
 
#2 ·
Not had that happen to me. The ID4 seems to digital ghosts! If it happens again you might try holding down the unlock button the fob until the windows open, then reach inside and see if it will open from the inside. If this continues you should visit your dealer
 
#5 ·
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The first time, I was able to open from the inside after I crawled over from the passenger side. Another time, I was not able to open from the inside either. I had to start the car, put it in gear, then I could open the door from inside.
 
#12 ·
Has this happened to you again? This happened to me and I could not get out or in once I crawled across the passenger seat. I took it in yesterday and they called and said it was a faulty door latch and it is on backorder and they have NO IDEA how long it will be. :(
 
#16 ·
Yes, this happened to me again the other day, right after I got home from the dealer. I found that if I start the car, it then opens. But I have to crawl across the car to get to the driver's seat to start it.

Thanks for the info, I plan to bring it back to the dealer, I will let them know what you were told.
 
#13 ·
The door handle has a trick up its sleeve. If the electronic mechanism doesn't fire, the interior can be "double pulled past the point of resistance" and the doors will mechanically open via an old fashioned pull cable, the electronics be damned.

The outer door handle supposedly has this same function, though I believe you need to pop the cover and unlock it with a key first (haven't tried it).

But definitely keep this in mind, roll down the windows using the remote's unlock long press, then give the inside handle the magic extra pull.
 
#14 ·
The door handle has a trick up its sleeve. If the electronic mechanism doesn't fire, the interior can be "double pulled past the point of resistance" and the doors will mechanically open via an old fashioned pull cable, the electronics be damned.

The outer door handle supposedly has this same function, though I believe you need to pop the cover and unlock it with a key first (haven't tried it).

But definitely keep this in mind, roll down the windows using the remote's unlock long press, then give the inside handle the magic extra pull.
thanks very much. :)
 
#17 ·
This happened a couple days ago. I came out to the car in a parking lot just as rain was starting. Hit unlock, mirrors open, climate A/C starts and driver handle refuses to operate at all. My wife quickly gets in passenger seat as her door works normally. Rain begins harder as I hold unlock and open all widows, reach inside and begin pulling multiple times on that handle to full extension, but door still not opening. I hand wife the key as she slides over to roll up widnows before car gets soaked inside. She pushes the start button and I try exterior handle again, than it opens. Sitting in the car & dialing my corporate care rep in Michigan, and fuming at yet another new issue (this car has been in the shop about 25 days in less that 2 months and 1,500 miles of ownership for multiple probs) I have to leave a VM. Stopped at dealer on the way home, get the EV tech out to verify the problem and he says its probably a latch part that will have to be ordered or possibly software related. HOWEVER, he showed me that if you pull Hard enough, through the electronic release on the exterior handle, the handle will come all the way up and mechanically open the door. Drove home and no more problems 2 days later so far.
 
#19 ·
... he showed me that if you pull Hard enough, through the electronic release on the exterior handle, the handle will come all the way up and mechanically open the door.
He actually demonstrated this?

I've read this in the manual, but the step by step does it in conjunction with the key to unlock first.

When I've pulled on the exterior handle (without keyed unlock), it doesn't feel like it's going to give, so I've stopped before breaking anything.

Meanwhile, double-pulling the interior handle works for me and seems failsafe since I can feel the cable or pushrod being moved and the latch clicking open. Have you tried this again? I'm really surprised it didn't work.
 
#20 ·
You don't need the physical key, just a lot of elbow grease on pulling the handle. I have tested it on all 4 doors and they will physically move way up, without braking, and open the doors. Yes I'm taking the car next week to the shop when a loaner is available. If I wasn't retired with some time and spare cars on hand and couldn't get loaners, this car would have been sold weeks ago. Now, as far as loaners, the purchasing dealer gave me a new Passat on the first repair drop off, a new Jetta on the second which was nice to experience. The other dealer closer to home gave me free shuttles on 1st repair there, and I don't know if it was a push from corporate VWoA or not, but they loaned me a Tiguan with a couple thousand miles with the last repair. These problems are not the fault of the dealers or mechanics, as we all know.
 
#23 ·
I tried the door handle, it still wouldn't open. It started again today, now the door will not open from inside or outside if the car is in park. If I move the shifter to D or B, the door will open.

Does not sound like a mechanical issue to me if it works when the car is in drive, but I will see what the dealer says on Wednesday.
 
#39 ·
After 13,000 miles (9 months) of ownership, my driver side electronic door latch also failed. At first it stopped unlocking from the outside when I placed my hand on it. Then I turned on auto unlock when approaching vehicle which helped me get in. 4 days later...after opening driver door the latch started glitching trying to unlock and lock non-stop like 8 times. I get in and shut the door, turn the car on and have the error messages like shown above "Travel assist not available" "Auto hold error" (even though I'm in USA and we have no Auto hold". Then basically my driver door stopped opening from the outside permanently. Had to stick in my key at the door handle slot, pop the plastic cap out for the key hole (wtf kind of a design is this?! 😅) After turning the key and trying to open several times it unlatched. Everytime door opens the latch starts glitching like there's a short or something. Everytime I press the brake car says "Auto hold error"...travel assist is not available and driver door can't lock. Outside doors should have had mechanical way of opening also...it has been very annoying that I can't open the driver door. All other doors function perfect. Car is at the dealership since March 3rd.
 
#46 ·
I don't want to ask anything. I don't care what the problem is. I bought a brand new car, I payed for it, they fix it. Still no word to this day, they gave me a sht Chevrolet Malibu as a rental. To me it's simple, 10 days from now it becomes a lemon by law and I get all my money back. If you're going to build and sell an electric car for the first time, plan it properly and provide the necessary technical support to find root cause of problems to fix it when they have issues. I don't care, not my problem, I'm not the technical manager for electric cars :)
 
#48 ·
Right! 1 week of no car, then give me a Chevy Malibu (making me get a ride from work to go to a rental company), been paying for gas (down $200 since my car has been out), and no communication since 10 days ago. I called VW customer care to make a formal complaint. You would think my car would be fixed faster since it is right next to all the ID.4s that will be getting made starting this summer at the Chattanooga factory for all of North America. Let's see hopefully I can provide some positive feedback in the future
 
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