Used Volkswagen ID 4 2021-present reliability

On the whole, the ID 4 is a solid and sensible electric SUV, usually bought by people or families who will look after their cars well. Check the interior for signs of wear and tear and alloys for any kerb damage, though.

When viewing a used car, always follow our used car buying checklist.

Check with your local Volkswagen dealer to make sure all recalls have been attended to and all remedial work done.

The ID 4 has had one recall for a possible missing bearing bush in the steering worm gear area. You can check with your local dealer to find out whether this has been carried out.

Owners have been reporting issues with the infotainment systems and active safety systems on the broadly similar and slightly older sibling to the ID 4, the VW ID 3, such as adaptive cruise control and speed-controlling functions.

Overall, it appears that the electrical features on early VW ID cars are prone to bugs and issues. That said, VW and other brands within the Volkswagen Group have introduced software upgrades to remedy the issues. It's worth keeping an eye out for anything similar with your ID 4.

The ID 4 didn't do well in our latest Reliability Survey, finishing in last place, 27th, out of 27 cars in the electric SUV category. It finished with a disappointing score of 79.6%, one of the lowest scores in the whole survey. It obviosuly came below rivals like the Skoda Enyaq, Kia EV6 and Tesla Model Y, and the MG ZS EV.

Reliability rating 79.6%

Most common faults: electric motor 18%, battery pack 11%, bodywork 7%, suspension 7%, 12-volt battery 4%, brakes 4%, motor electrics 4%, charging system 4%, non-motor electrics 4%, sat-nav/infotainment system 4%, steering 4%

Average repair cost: 100% £0

Typical time off road: 14% one day or less, 67% more than a week

The Volkswagen ID 4 is one of a set of triplets that also includes the Audi Q4 e-tron and Skoda Enyaq, but the VW trails its siblings by more than 10 percentage points when it comes to reliability. It not only suffers more faults than its VW stablemates, it also takes longer to repair.

Thirty-six percent of ID 4 owners had gripes, compared with 30% of people with Enyaqs and 29% with Q4 e-trons. What’s more, 67% of faulty ID 4s were off the road for more than a week, while only 28% of Enyaqs (and 52% of Q4s) took that long. The EV battery and electric motor were the main issues for ID 4 owners, but VW did pay for all repairs.

Owner’s view: “My car has ground to a halt at crucial moments three times, each followed by at least a week in the garage.”

Volkswagen ID 4 review

As a brand, Volkswagen finished in joint 24th out of 30 manufacturers. Its score of 90.5% put it above rivals like Nissan, Vauxhall and MG, but below Tesla, Skoda and Volvo.

Used Volkswagen ID 4 reliability: the owners' view

In our latest Reliability Survey, VW ID 4 owners reported recurring electrical faults, including infotainment system glitches and software-related warning lights.

In some cases, the car refused to start, requiring dealer intervention. Several owners were frustrated by long waits for parts and slow dealer repairs, with one describing a three-week delay to fix a charging fault.

That said, a few respondents praised their local dealerships for being helpful and communicative during repairs, though others described service as inconsistent and at times dismissive. Some owners expressed disappointment that problems took multiple visits to resolve fully.

While not all ID 4s were affected – several owners reported no issues – there’s a noticeable pattern of electrical gremlins and patchy dealer support that potential buyers may want to consider.