NHTSA complaint #11710299

Owner complaint summary

I own one of 311 vehicles specifically identified in this recall regarding "misaligned electrodes" and "shifted cathodes" in the high-voltage battery. I am formally requesting that Volkswagen replace all battery modules within the high-voltage pack of the affected 311 vehicles for the following reasons: 1. Systemic Manufacturing Deviation: The identified root cause—faulty stacker machines at the SK On facility—points to a systemic mechanical failure rather than an isolated material defect. Given that these machines were responsible for the layering and alignment of the entire pack, there is no reasonable assurance that the remaining "unflagged" modules do not possess latent alignment deviations that simply haven't triggered a diagnostic flag yet. 2. Safety and Fire Risk: The defect in question is not a performance issue but a critical safety hazard capable of causing thermal runaway. Partial replacement leaves the vehicle owner with a "mixed" battery pack, where older modules may still harbor the same manufacturing inconsistencies, continuing to pose a fire risk to the occupants and the property where the vehicle is parked. 3. Battery Imbalance and Longevity: Replacing only a subset of modules introduces a significant discrepancy in state-of-health (SoH) and internal resistance between new and old modules. This imbalance can lead to accelerated degradation of the remaining modules, reduced driving range, and repeated "Service Required" visits, as evidenced by other EV owners undergoing similar partial module recalls. 4. Diminished Value and Consumer Confidence: The "311 units" designation suggests a high concentration of risk. A vehicle with a history of multiple "surgical" battery repairs due to manufacturing-induced fire risks suffers significantly higher depreciation than those with a factory certified, fully replaced battery system. With 7618 miles it has been in for service 8 times and has had electronic issues for the past 5 visits that are still unresolved.