These Touch Controls Are Haunting Volkswagen Right Now
Volkswagen’s mistake with capacitive steering wheel buttons has come back to haunt the automaker—this time in the form of a class-action lawsuit.
Key Points
- Volkswagen is facing a potential class-action lawsuit alleging that the capacitive touch steering wheel controls in 2021–2023 ID.4 models are defective and can unintentionally reactivate adaptive cruise control.
- The complaint cites crashes and injuries tied to unintended acceleration during low-speed maneuvers, backed by multiple reports filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- Although Volkswagen has already announced it will discontinue capacitive touch controls in future models, the lawsuit argues that existing ID.4s on the road remain unsafe and violate warranty and consumer protection laws.
Filed in New Jersey, the complaint centers on the 2021–2023 ID.4 and alleges that the vehicle’s haptic controls are overly sensitive, capable of activating adaptive cruise control with a mere passing touch.
Two ID.4 owners are named as plaintiffs in the suit. Both point to parking lot mishaps as evidence of the defect. One driver says her EV surged forward while easing into a space, after her hand brushed the control surface, causing more than $14,000 in underbody damage and leaving her with a hand injury. The other reported a similar brush of the touchpad scenario that ended with the SUV colliding with his garage.
While the suit only involves two plaintiffs, the filing cites a stack of reports lodged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In them, ID.4 owners describe episodes of unintended acceleration, braking system irregularities, and minor crashes, often in low-speed maneuvers like parking. Several admit they may have grazed the cruise button on the wheel, but argue the control is too sensitive to be safe.
One NHTSA complaint from last summer tells the story of a driver’s thumb accidentally reactivating cruise control after letting the wheel return to center. This launched the ID.4 forward until the brakes were applied. Another driver, in 2024, reported three separate instances of the SUV lurching forward while parking, one of which sent the vehicle over a curb and into someone's yard.
That driver claimed their spouse, with four decades of clean driving, had never experienced anything like it. Naturally, this is all hearsay.
The suit alleges Volkswagen violated warranty and consumer protection statutes in Massachusetts and Connecticut, citing the button design as inherently defective.
Volkswagen has already announced it will phase out capacitive controls in favor of traditional switchgear, a reversal influenced by widespread criticism. That does little, however, to address the thousands of ID.4s already equipped with the technology.
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An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, been over the wall during the Rolex 24, and worked in the intense world of IndyCar.
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Don't forget Dieselgate.
Bring back real, mechanical, positive feedback switches! And while you are at it, bring back the manual transmission to the GTI - which would probably cost way less than your TV commercial budget. You can also fund part these fixes by firing the geniuses who thought these unasked for "improvements" were a good idea.