In the United States, two Volkswagen ID.4 owners have filed a class action lawsuit, claiming that the SUV’s touch-sensitive steering wheel controls can lead to accidents. The controversy stems from Volkswagen’s decision in recent years to replace traditional physical buttons with touch surfaces capable of registering taps, clicks, and swipes. While intended as a step toward modern design, the change has divided drivers, and now it’s facing legal scrutiny.
The plaintiffs point to numerous complaints already submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). They argue that the adaptive cruise control system can be unintentionally reactivated, for instance, while parking, when drivers’ hands brush against the steering wheel’s touch panels.
The lawsuit focuses on 2021–2023 Volkswagen ID.4 models sold in the US, but extends to “all others in similar situations”. According to the claim, the overly sensitive controls can trigger sudden acceleration, property damage, and even personal injuries. The filing also mentions additional issues: some ID.4 owners reported failures of active safety systems or cases where the vehicles did not properly respond to brake inputs during emergencies. The plaintiffs are demanding an official recall, technical fixes, and unspecified compensation.
Volkswagen executives have already acknowledged that the transition to touch controls was a controversial move. In recent years, the automaker has gradually brought back physical buttons in refreshed and new-generation models.
Examples come from Europe and Australia, where touch controls appeared on models like the Golf, T-Roc, Touareg, ID. Buzz, ID.4, and ID.5, only to be phased out later. The Golf Mk 8.5 has returned to traditional buttons, as have the latest Tiguan and Tayron SUVs. The shift was signaled in 2022, and by 2023 Volkswagen confirmed that the Polo GTI and 2024 T-Roc would be the first to abandon steering wheel touch inputs altogether.
For now, however, the US class action remains focused solely on the ID.4 EV, a flagship of Volkswagen’s electric lineup, but also a flashpoint in the debate over ergonomics and road safety.
