Audi Q4 E-Tron Recall Affects 9,048 EVs Over Battery Fire Risk

Volkswagen Group of America flags 9,048 Audi Q4 E-Tron models while engineers work on a permanent high-voltage battery remedy.

Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron

Photo by: Audi

Brian Potter

By: Brian Potter

Oct 27, at 6:44am ET

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Volkswagen Group of America has told 9,048 Audi Q4 E-Tron and Q4 Sportback E-Tron owners to stop charging past 80 percent. The order covers certain 2024 and 2025 models after concerns that a high-voltage battery failure could lead to a fire.

Volkswagen Group of America filed a Noncompliance Information Report with NHTSA on October 21, 2026, and the fix is not ready yet. Owners can already check their VIN through NHTSA's online lookup tool, which added the affected numbers to its database on October 23, 2026.

According to recall documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "the exact root cause remains under active investigation." Audi's Product Safety Committee received reports of thermal events in the high-voltage battery on September 21, before opening the recall roughly three weeks later.

Which Audi Q4 E-Tron Models Are Covered

Audi Q4 50 e-tron

Audi Q4 50 e-tron

Photo by: Audi

The recall, listed by NHTSA as campaign 26V698000, covers 9,048 Q4 E-Tron and Q4 Sportback E-Tron vehicles from the 2024 and 2025 model years. Public NHTSA documents describe the affected population by model year and total volume rather than a detailed production date range.

Audi says it is aware of no crashes, fires, or injuries tied to the defect in its own vehicles. That is a notable distinction, since parent company Volkswagen is dealing with a similar problem on the ID.4 that affects 22,524 vehicles with the same unresolved root cause and also instructs owners to limit charging to 80 percent. VINs for that ID.4 campaign became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 6, 2026.

Interim notification letters are expected to go out to registered owners on December 18, 2026, informing them about the charging limit and the recall itself. Audi has not yet announced when a permanent repair will be ready.

Why Audi Set An 80 Percent Charging Limit

The battery risk is linked to thermal propagation, a chain reaction where one damaged cell overheats and spreads that heat to adjacent cells. Public recall information notes that the concern involves a state of charge above 80 percent in certain conditions.

Audi instructs owners of affected vehicles to limit charging to a maximum of 80 percent until a remedy is available. The company will provide further guidance as the investigation into the cause and the permanent repair progresses.

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Volkswagen Group of America states in recall information that owners will be notified by mail and that dealers will perform the recall work at no charge once a remedy is ready. A similar sequence is underway on the earlier Volkswagen and Audi SUV recall this year.

Audi reports no crashes or injuries involving Audi-badged vehicles related to this condition in the Q4 E-Tron recall. Until the permanent remedy arrives, the 80 percent limit is the primary safeguard Audi has described in the recall information.