Volkswagen ID3 Life
Registered from 2020 to 2022.
About this model
The Volkswagen ID.3 is a battery electric small family car (C-segment) produced by Volkswagen since 2019. It is the first passenger vehicle of Volkswagen Group to utilise the MEB platform, and the first in what would become the long-running ID. series. It was unveiled on 9 September 2019 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, after being first shown as the I.D. concept car at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. Deliveries to retail customers began in Germany in September 2020.
From the Wikipedia article Volkswagen ID.3, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2020 electric. 71 of 1,165 tests failed, 6%.
Better than 77% of 2020 cars. The typical one fails 8%, across 906 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres and wheels | 63% | 45 |
| Lights and electrics | 15% | 11 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 10% | 7 |
| Visibility | 10% | 7 |
| Brakes | 8% | 6 |
| Suspension | 6% | 4 |
The defects inspectors cite
- A tyre cords visible or damaged
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- A tyre seriously damaged
- The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
- A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative
Where it stands out against its peers
- Seat belts and airbags: failed more often than 92% of 2020 cars — 10% of its 71 failed tests, where an ordinary 2020 car has 2%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
NHTSA's investigations are American; no European regulator publishes an equivalent record, so this section has nothing to draw on for a European car. There is no European equivalent of the service-bulletin register either.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Tyres and wheels — 63% of its failures
- A tyre cords visible or damaged
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- A tyre seriously damaged
- Brakes — 8% of its failures
- Suspension — 6% of its failures
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
- Lights and electrics — 15% of its failures
- An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction
- Seat belts and airbags — 10% of its failures
- Visibility — 10% of its failures
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
When it starts failing
At 40–60k miles this one fails 8% of its inspections, against the 13% an ordinary car of the same age fails.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–20k miles | 4% | 5% | 484 | |
| 20–40k miles | 7% | 10% | 563 | |
| 40–60k miles | 8% | 13% | 95 |
1,142 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 20k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2020 | electric · 1805 kg · 2770 mm wheelbase · 156 Wh/km |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
A12/01197/23
The front passenger airbag may not be properly bolted, which can lead to a faulty deployment, increasing the risk of injury. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Recall of the product from end users
SR/00953/26
The high-voltage battery’s cell modules could overheat during charging. This may lead to fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Recall of the product from end users