Volkswagen ID.3 hatchback - Reliability & safety

As the very first in a new wave of Volkswagen electric cars, the ID.3 is something of a pioneer. This was shown by the very earliest cars being sold without all the software they needed and owners experiencing odd electrical glitches. Hopefully this won't mean it proves unreliable but any issues should at least be covered by Volkswagen's three-year warranty. The ID.3 is also one of the first VW models to benefit from over-the-air software updates, capable of fixing some issues without a trip to the dealership.

VW ID.3 reliability

We anticipate that the VW ID.3’s electric powertrain should be very robust, with the potential to be far more reliable than a combustion-engined car. There are, after all, very few moving parts to go wrong.

Teething problems are likely to lie with software and electrics, and we know the ID.3 launch was delayed while Volkswagen battled software bugs.

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Safety

The ID.3 is a showcase for VW's latest technology, and that extends to its safety kit. Features like autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection are fitted as standard. This earned it a maximum five-star score when it was tested by Euro NCAP in late 2020. Overall, it was awarded 87% and 89% for adult and child occupant protection respectively, a 71% score for protection of vulnerable road users, and 88% for its safety assist systems.

While Volkswagen isn't offering anything to compete with Tesla's Autopilot system just yet, we do know it is working on autonomous driving technology, so this could be introduced for the ID.3 later. For now, it’s easy to make do with active cruise control, which alters your speed for you on the motorway to match the car in front, and lane-keeping assist to stop you straying outside white lines on the road.