This Genius Solved One Of The Volkswagen ID.4's Biggest Annoyances With A DIY Fix

Volkswagen put capacitive buttons on the ID.4’s steering wheel, but not everybody loves them. Now, though, there’s a fix.

The Volkswagen ID.4, as well as other ID models, come with capacitive buttons on the steering wheel.
While they look good, they increase the risk of accidental touches.
One ID.4 owner got fed up with the stock setup and found a simple way to install regular buttons on the steering wheel.

Automakers love capacitive buttons. Whether it’s because they look cooler than conventional clicky buttons or because they’re cheaper to make–or both–I don’t know. What I do know is that they can get on your nerves fast because instead of pushing just one small button, a whole plastic panel moves.

Volkswagen is one of those automakers. When the ID.4 went on sale, reviewers and new owners complained that the capacitive buttons on the steering wheel can be a bit annoying. That, and the fact that there are just two buttons on the driver’s door to control all four windows. Luckily, though, there’s now a simple DIY fix for the steering wheel buttons.

All the parts can be bought from Volkswagen or other reputable parts suppliers, and the whole thing costs about $150. To make it work, the battery must first be disconnected. Then, the airbag and trim need to be removed. Six small screws are needed to attach the new buttons to the trim, and you need to remember to remove the CAN pins from the mechanical buttons. If they’re left connected, the horn will sound, which isn’t great.

Putting it back together is simple and straightforward, so if you’re the kind of person who likes to tinker with things and doesn’t like the capacitive buttons on the ID.4, this is a great DIY mod. Although there’s no evidence to support this, the same mod might work on the ID. Buzz minivan, too.

I know I’ve changed the audio track in my Volvo V90 a couple of times by accident when gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly, so I would happily do this sort of modification to my wagon if it were available.

Volkswagen knows more buttons are good, too, and the facelifted ID.4 will be the first in line to get more of them. "They will be in every car that we make from now on. We will never, ever make this mistake again. On the steering wheel, we will have physical buttons. Honestly, it's a car. It's not a phone," Volkswagen's head of design Andreas Mint said.