Audi Recalls 9,048 Q4 e-tron EVs Over Battery Fire Risk and Tells Owners to Cap Charging at 80 Percent

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 9,048 Audi electric vehicles because their high-voltage batteries may fail and potentially cause a fire, according to a safety notice published October 21 on the NHTSA website. The recall covers certain 2024 and 2025 Audi Q4 e-tron and Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron vehicles, including vehicles produced through June 2025. The NHTSA campaign number is 26V698.

The reported risk involves thermal propagation, the spread of a rapid and uncontrolled temperature increase inside the high-voltage battery, which the notice links to vehicles with a state of charge above 80 percent. Volkswagen said the cause remains under investigation and that some batteries in the affected vehicles may not meet the required quality standards. The company also said it is unaware of any claims, crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths associated with this issue. Because a permanent remedy is still under development, affected owners are advised to limit charging to 80 percent of battery capacity in the meantime.

Owners should not wait for a letter to act on the interim instruction. Check the vehicle identification number in the NHTSA recall database to confirm whether a specific car is included, since not every Q4 e-tron from these model years is necessarily affected. A battery fire risk is the kind of defect where the interim guidance matters as much as the eventual repair, and charging to 80 percent costs little range for most daily driving while the fix is prepared.