Electric cars have become a central part of Volkswagen’s global strategy, with a wide mix of models sold across Europe, Asia, and beyond. In the States, though, the lineup is far narrower, limited to just the ID.4 and the ID.Buzz. Even so, the ID.4 has taken on a critical role for the brand, climbing to Volkswagen’s third best-selling model in the country during the third quarter of this year.

Read: VW ID.4 Gets A Stealthy Blackout But Something Bigger Waits In The Shadows

In the third quarter, VW managed to sell a total of 87,705 vehicles in the US, consisting of 73,444 SUVs and 87,705 passenger cars. The company’s most popular model proved to be the Tiguan LWB, shifting 22,050 units, a 4 percent increase from Q3 last year. In second place was the Atlas, with 19,105 examples finding new homes, marking a 2 percent increase.

A Sharp Rise For The ID.4

Slotting into third place was the all-electric ID.4. Q3 sales hit 12,470, a dramatic 176 percent jump over the 4,518 sold in the same period last year. That single quarter accounted for a sizeable portion of the 22,125 ID.4s delivered nationwide so far in 2025.

Needless to say, the surge didn’t happen by chance. Like several other automakers, Volkswagen benefited from a rush of customers eager to secure their EV purchase before the federal EV tax credit expired on September 30.

Although the 2025 ID.4 did not qualify for the incentive, unlike the 2023 and 2024 models, it was available with the $7,500 rebate if leased. Now that the government’s incentive is no longer available, it’s likely there will be a decline in demand through the remaining three months of the year.

Where The Numbers Land

Looking at the year as a whole, the ID.4 ranks as VW’s sixth best-selling new vehicle in the States with 22,125 units sold. This positions it behind the Atlas (51,181), the Tiguan LWB (48,951), the Jetta (48,610), the Taos (40,524), and the Atlas Cross Sport (24,282).

In Q3, VW also managed to sell 2,469 ID.Buzzes, roughly 50 percent of all the examples it has sold through the entire year through September.

Correction: An earlier version of this story mistakenly referred to third-quarter sales as September sales.

VW US Sales 2025

• Volkswagen has introduced a new Black Package for the 2025 ID.4.
• It adds black mirror caps and door handles as well as 20-inch wheels.
• A facelifted crossover is already in the works and can’t arrive fast enough.

Earlier this year, Volkswagen announced the 2026 ID.4 would be getting a minor update, which would see the S Plus trim equipped with HomeLink. That wasn’t exactly a riveting change, but it’s interesting to note as the company has just announced an update to the 2025 model.

The S and S Plus are gaining a new Black Package, which promises to deliver an “even bolder, more distinctive look.” As the name suggests, it adds an assortment of black components including the mirror caps and door handles. Buyers will also find black badging and dark 20-inch alloy wheels. S Plus variants go a step further as they add an auto-dimming driver’s side mirror.

More: Here’s What’s Coming To VW’s 2026 Lineup

The Black Package costs $695 on both trims. However, pricing for the ID.4 Pro S starts at $50,195, while the all-wheel drive-only ID.4 Pro S Plus begins at $57,295.

The rear-wheel drive variant has 282 hp (210 kW / 286 PS) and 291 miles (468 km) of range, while all-wheel drive models have 335 hp (250 kW / 340 PS) and 263 miles (423 km) of range.

From ID.4 to ID. Tiguan?

While it’s a little late in the model year for updates, bigger developments are on the horizon. In particular, Volkswagen confirmed a “mid-model-year change” is coming in 2026 and it will see the ID.4 “receive additional features.”

Details are limited, but Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer has previously described the update as a complete “redo” inside and out. He also suggested the changes will be so extensive that the facelifted variant will be a “completely different car – a huge step up.”

We can also expect a revamped interior with a greater emphasis on physical switchgear. Rumors have even suggested the model could be called the ID. Tiguan as the automaker has moved away from alphanumeric monikers and embraced names such as ID. Cross and ID. Polo.

The ID.4 was supposed to be VW’s answer to the Tesla Model Y, the world’s best-selling electric vehicle. However, Volkswagen of America has revealed it will reduce production of the all-electric SUV at its Chattanooga plant, indicating that it is simply not selling locally in the numbers the German brand had hoped.

Read: You Can Lease A VW ID.4 From Just $56 A Month

A total of 160 employees will be furloughed at the plant starting in late October. If there’s a glimmer of good news for employees impacted, it’s that VW will supplement unemployment from the state of Tennessee, so workers will be paid 80 percent of their base compensation and continue to receive full benefits.

Production Scaled Down

Speaking with Auto News, a VW spokesperson said that moving forward, fewer ID.4s will be assembled during each production shift.

“This adjustment in no way changes our commitment to the ID4, our growing EV portfolio, or our commitment to our Chattanooga team,” they said. “This is a market-driven decision, based on aligning our production volume to market demand.”

While production of the ID.4 will be reduced, the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport will still be built at their current in Chattanooga.

Sales Numbers Tell the Story

A quick look at the sales numbers reveals why the production changes are being made. Through the second quarter of this year, US sales of the ID.4 dropped 65 percent. For the first six months of 2025, they are down 19 percent. Clearly, it doesn’t make sense for VW to continue building as many units as it used to if there’s insufficient demand.

More: VW Revives Polo Name For EV Era And Teases First Ever Electric GTI

It must be noted that it’s not just 2025 that has proven to be a tough one for the electric SUV. The previous year, VW only managed to shift about 17,000 units in the US, a significant fall from the roughly 38,000 that were sold in 2023.

Touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons seemed futuristic when Volkswagen introduced them, but they’ve sparked more frustration than admiration. Now, according to a new class action lawsuit in the US, these capacitive controls may not just be inconvenient – they could pose a genuine safety risk.

Read: VW Getting Rid Of Dreaded Touch-Sensitive Controls On Steering Wheels

A few years back, Volkswagen admitted that touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons were a misstep and pledged to return to physical switches in future models. That decision, however, does little for current owners still stuck with controls that the common consensus is that they are far too finicky.

According to the lawsuit, these overly sensitive controls mean it’s possible to automatically engage the Adaptive Cruise Control with a “mere light brush of the hand,” potentially putting drivers in dangerous situations.

Focus on the ID.4

The case is focused on VW ID.4 models equipped with these capacitive buttons and names two plaintiffs who are reportedly now “terrified and hesitant” to drive their vehicles. The class action also alleges that VW has failed to disclose the alleged defect, nor has it offered its customers suitable repairs or replacements free of charge, or even offered to reimburse its customers.

It’s also been alleged that VW has known about the problem because of customer complaints, internal records, and information sent from dealers.

The plaintiffs involved assert that Volkswagen is guilty of common law fraud by omission, alongside breach of express and implied warranty and unjust enrichment. The lawsuit has been filed in a New Jersey federal court and also asserts that the company has violated consumer protection laws in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

While it’s been almost three years since VW said it’d ditch its capacitive steering wheel controls, we will have to wait until the launch of the all-electric ID.2all before physical steering wheel buttons make a return. As such, it’ll likely take the German brand several years to completely phase out the haptic switches from the rest of its model range.