Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP Files a Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen for Selling Vehicles With Defective Batteries that Catch Fire

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP filed a class action complaint in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey (Chen v. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, et al., Case No. 2:26-cv-05409) on behalf of all U.S. purchasers, lessees, and owners of model year 2023-2025 Volkswagen ID.4 vehicles.

The complaint alleges that the ID.4 vehicles were manufactured with defective high-voltage batteries containing misaligned electrodes that can lead to thermal events and fires. According to the pleading, Volkswagen first became aware of a battery fire in January 2024 during a charging incident and subsequently received three additional reports of fires originating from the battery between July and December 2024. Despite this knowledge, Volkswagen did not initiate a safety recall until December 2025—nearly two years later—identifying the quality deviation involving electrode misalignment. In January 2026, Volkswagen issued additional recalls and acknowledged "thermal incidents" but stated it had not determined a clear root cause.

The lawsuit asserts claims for breach of express warranty and violations of federal and state law. The class encompasses all persons and entities in the United States who purchased, leased, or own the affected model years. No settlement amount has been announced, and the case remains in its early filing stage.

This is a curated brief from the PlaintiffWire news desk. Read the original report at PR Newswire Legal.