Blind Spot Information System

[skeethy]

New to ID4 but not VW EV's having just traded in an ID3 Family for an ID4 GTX.

One of the bugbears of the ID3 was the Lane Assist system which I nearly always disengaged because living in a rural area it had very little road info to work to and was a liability.

The GTX is shown in the digital manual both on My Volkswagen and the onboard digital manual as having Blind Spot Information System installed as standard and that the option to switch it on or off should be on the main Assist page of the Infotainment screen, so there should be 3 cars showing on the screen. The GTX I bought is an ex showroom demo registered in December 2023, the date stickers around the car show it was built at the end of June 2023 but there is no sign of the BLIS system on the car. It was listed in the spec as standard equipment, clearly it is listed in the digital manual, the car is running software version 3.5. VWCS have been aware of this issue for a week now and were putting it to the dealers, a prompt today has not really produced a useable answer, so my question to all is, do you have BLIS installed and is it showing on the Infotainment screen? I realise that if you disable Lane Assist it would take out Side Assist automatically but as you have to disable Lane Assist each and every time (if you wish) so it cannot be an issue where it has been removed.
A trawl of similarly aged GTX cars on the VW site shows 8 out of 9 listed as having BLIS installed, I am assuming that the other dealer has not included it. Rather worrying was that 1 dealer lists an ID4 GTX as having a rev counter, bit too much cut and paste.
Thanks

[gflacko]

The Lane Keeping System (Lane Assist) uses the camera on the windscreen and is standard on all models. I normally switch it off as it is not suitable where I live with lots of narrow, twisting roads. The Lane Changing System (Side Assist) needs extra hardware such as the 2 rear radars in the bumper. Also the wing mirrors have the yellow light on the inside. Mine is a 22 model Max and at the time only the Max and GTX Max had side assist. . Travel Assist also uses these sensors so it is logical to assume that if you have TA you probably have Side Assist. Not sure about the latest models and specification but have a look at the wing mirrors. If they do not have a yellow light on the inside then the hardware is not there so the software revision will not be relevant.

[skeethy]

The Lane Keeping System (Lane Assist) uses the camera on the windscreen and is standard on all models. I normally switch it off as it is not suitable where I live with lots of narrow, twisting roads. The Lane Changing System (Side Assist) needs extra hardware such as the 2 rear radars in the bumper. Also the wing mirrors have the yellow light on the inside. Mine is a 22 model Max and at the time only the Max and GTX Max had side assist. . Travel Assist also uses these sensors so it is logical to assume that if you have TA you probably have Side Assist. Not sure about the latest models and specification but have a look at the wing mirrors. If they do not have a yellow light on the inside then the hardware is not there so the software revision will not be relevant.

It would appear that VW have dropped a goolie. Just about every used ID4 GTX listed on the VW website has it listed either under standard equipment or under miscellaneous. My dealer has checked every 3, 4 and 5 on site and none have Side Assist actually fitted and there has a query now gone to VW technical as to whether it is a cock up in advertising or whether it should actually be fitted. I cannot believe that I am the only person to have noticed that it is missing from a car, can I ask if anyone on here has it listed in either the MyVolkswagen digital manual or electronic in vehicle version and either has it physically or does not have it physically installed. The electronic version of manual is generated based on the VIN of your vehicle which is why I am able to produce a screenshot showing how to switch it on or off.
This has shades of the debacle with VW over fitting airstop tyres on ID3 cars with the optional 18" East Derry alloy wheels when the Bridgestone tyres used were not airstop because Bridgestone never made 18" airstop tyres but that did not stop VW listing them in the brochure.

[gflacko]

I presume you have confirmed that your id4 does not have the hardware fitted. This confirms my understanding that previously only the high spec cars (ie the max) had this as standard. There was also the chip shortage post covid that affected what the manufacturers decided to fit. I feel your disappointment as I find side assist a good safety feature and had it on my previous cars ( Range Rovers). Travel Assist is also interesting as the car is capable of driving itself although you have to keep your hand(s) on the steering wheel to avoid red warning lights etc. You are probably right to highlight the confusions in the brochures. This is due to the high number variations that VW seemed to have introduced over a short time period. If you bought the car from a dealer with their understanding that this was fitted then it may be worth asking for some compensation.

[Generationgav]

. The electronic version of manual is generated based on the VIN of your vehicle which is why I am able to produce a screenshot showing how to switch it on or off.

The manual isn't that clever, my manual shows side assist and also memory seats, I don't have either (and didn't expect to have them)

[skeethy]

I presume you have confirmed that your id4 does not have the hardware fitted. This confirms my understanding that previously only the high spec cars (ie the max) had this as standard. There was also the chip shortage post covid that affected what the manufacturers decided to fit. I feel your disappointment as I find side assist a good safety feature and had it on my previous cars ( Range Rovers). Travel Assist is also interesting as the car is capable of driving itself although you have to keep your hand(s) on the steering wheel to avoid red warning lights etc. You are probably right to highlight the confusions in the brochures. This is due to the high number variations that VW seemed to have introduced over a short time period. If you bought the car from a dealer with their understanding that this was fitted then it may be worth asking for some compensation.

Problem for the dealer is they said it was not standard equipment and was not advertised as such, but that was only after VWCS intervention. I have a copy of the online advert from the VW website and it is shown as standard equipment. Not just my car but nearly every other GTX listed on the VW website, so anybody buying as a result of those listings could should be expecting BLIS.

[skeethy]

I presume you have confirmed that your id4 does not have the hardware fitted. This confirms my understanding that previously only the high spec cars (ie the max) had this as standard. There was also the chip shortage post covid that affected what the manufacturers decided to fit. I feel your disappointment as I find side assist a good safety feature and had it on my previous cars ( Range Rovers). Travel Assist is also interesting as the car is capable of driving itself although you have to keep your hand(s) on the steering wheel to avoid red warning lights etc. You are probably right to highlight the confusions in the brochures. This is due to the high number variations that VW seemed to have introduced over a short time period. If you bought the car from a dealer with their understanding that this was fitted then it may be worth asking for some compensation.

Problem for the dealer is they said it was not standard equipment and was not advertised as such, but that was only after VWCS intervention. I have a copy of the online advert from the VW website and it is shown as standard equipment. Not just my car but nearly every other GTX listed on the VW website, so anybody buying as a result of those listings could should be expecting BLIS.

Well two weeks on and still VW UK are spending more time prevaricating than they are looking at the issue, there are currently 25 similar age ID4 GTX hosted on the VW website and the vast majority are showing as being fitted with BLIS. Personally I do not know whether my car should have it or not simply because VW UK are not even responding to the dealership. Regarding the hardware, I would have assumed that having Park Assist with front, rear and side sensors, that they would perform the function for the BLIS but again with VW UK burying their heads in the sand it is impossible to know.

Despite being a patient bloke, my patience only knows certain limits so yesterday I complained to the Advertising Standards Agency, not sure if it falls within their remit but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Today emailed the CEO of VW UK and cc'd to VW CS. Normally when you email them, you get an automatic response claiming to be in touch within 48 hours, today nothing using my normal email address which clearly they know. But when I resent the email using a different email address, I received an automatic response.

Wonder whether VW had the same approach when the issue of cheat software on diesels came to light?

I've given up trying to ring VWCS because the only time I tried, it took me 10 minutes to just spell out my email address to the call handler.

[Generationgav]

Regarding the hardware, I would have assumed that having Park Assist with front, rear and side sensors, that they would perform the function for the BLI

It needs a different control box and I think possibly different side sensors. Looked at retrofitting it to my ID4 but was.too much effort, was hoping it'd be swap the mirrors and code.

[skeethy]

Regarding the hardware, I would have assumed that having Park Assist with front, rear and side sensors, that they would perform the function for the BLI

It needs a different control box and I think possibly different side sensors. Looked at retrofitting it to my ID4 but was.too much effort, was hoping it'd be swap the mirrors and code.

After nearly a month of trying to get the dealer and VWCS in South Africa to do something, got a phone call from VW UK headquarters to tell me they had only been made aware of the issue since the 12th July and that they were waiting for "Products" to confirm whether my GTX should have BLIS although the representative did not sound very positive. Apparently it is not possible to retro fit the system but I find that hard to believe as the wiring will be installed from new. I did raise concerns that dealers are still showing BLIS fitted as standard including my 2021 ID3 Family being advertised with it, she said the dealer was removing the reference, guess what, 2 days later and it is still listed as standard equipment on the website.
I'd love to say my confidence in VW has been restored but as they are still carrying misleading (lying) adverts on the VW website after a month of being told they are wrong, I cannot have any confidence in VW as a company. Compensation has been mentioned but what I really, really want is a BLIS system, oh and the tyre repair outfit listed on the advert.