Reformed Tesla owner highlights fatal Volkswagen ID.4 software flaws in long-term review

Electric vehicle YouTuber, Alex Guberman, has published a final review of his Volkswagen ID.4 on his channel E for Electric, detailing the myriad issues he encountered throughout his two-year-long stint with the vehicle. Unsurprisingly, most of the issues he ran into were software-based, and, while some of the glitches were less severe, others left him stranded on the roadside.

To Volkswagen's credit, Guberman was an early adopter of the ID.4, and he did have some very positive words about the electric SUV's 250-mile range, looks, creature comforts, and affordable pricing that initially drew him to the car. It wouldn't be long before issues started, though. Within a matter of weeks, the ID.4 left Guberman stranded on the side of the road due to a hardware failure. Volkswagen initially told him it would take a few weeks to repair, but it was ultimately resolved within a few days thanks to Guberman's online presence and influencer status.

While one of the initial draws of the ID.4 was its compatibility with Android Auto, the feature proved to be one of the biggest frustrations with the ID.4. Not only was the Android Auto connection incredibly unstable, frequently disconnecting and sometimes taking up to ten  minutes to connect to the phone, but it also unexpectedly caused Guberman's phone to overheat rather severely. The infotainment system would also often lose sound entirely, requiring a tedious workaround to get the sound working again.

More egregiously, though, was the software's interference in the day-to-day operation of the vehicle, with frequent issues popping up when Guberman was trying to charge the vehicle. Often, the handshake between the car would fail or take excessively long. VW promised to correct these, and other, issues via an OTA software update, which was eventually applied during a service. Not only did the software update not resolve the issues, it introduced new issues.

Guberman acknowledges that he was an early adopter of the ID.4, and that there were bound to be some issues due to the first-generation nature of the vehicle. He also notes that other ID.4 owners who purchased more recently have experienced fewer problems with their vehicles.

All of these software issues don't inspire confidence in the brand's electric vehicles, but Volkswagen North America's CEO Pablo Di Si's recent comments on the ID. Buzz illustrate an awareness that the overall experience on future electric vehicles cannot be fumbled if the brand is to commit to electrification.

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