US NHTSA opens recall query into more than 51,000 Volkswagen EVs

(Reuters) – The U.S. auto safety regulator said on Monday it has opened a recall query into an estimated 51,500 Volkswagen America’s EVs over concerns of the vehicle door opening while driving.

The U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it received 12 complaints over Volkswagen’s electric ID.4 SUVs built between 2021 and 2023.

Some consumers reported that the vehicle’s door intermittently opens while driving with no reasonable detectability, though no injuries or fatalities have been connected to this issue.

According to the safety regulator, the affected vehicles were also a part of the automaker’s prior recall to remedy water seepage from the door.

The NHTSA’s new query will investigate Volkswagen’s older recalls to assess the effectiveness of the remedies done.

(Reporting by Harshita Meenaktshi and Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Shilpi Majumdar)