Used Volkswagen ID.3

The ID.3 has been with us since 2019, and there’s already a very active used market for it. 

We found more than 250 used ID.3s listed online after a quick search, but the cheapest was £17,000. 

Going for a used model rather than waiting for a new car does - strangely - give you more choice. There was a bewildering array of specifications to choose from in the two years, then supply constraints during Covid and the semi-conductor crisis meant that VW cut the range down to just one model, with the 58kWh battery for a year or so, and then in 2023 there was a facelift that brought back the long-range 77kWh battery as well as a new trim lineup, not to mention better quality interior and improved efficiency. 

Now, spotting which one is which on the used market isn’t as simple as it should be because the battery size isn’t mentioned anywhere in the name of the car. If you want the biggest battery, look for the Tour model because that’s the only one that gets it. Since the 2023 model year, the 58kWh battery has been named 'Pro' and the 77kWh battery 'Pro S', and these should be stated in the car's trim level. 

If you want the smaller 45kWh pack, look for a City or Style model. The mid-sized 58kWh battery comes with two different motor power outputs; 145PS and 204PS. Confusing, huh?

Also bear in mind that the 77kWh version was only available with four seats until the 2023 facelift. This is because the battery is heavier and VW didn't want to risk you taking chunkier passengers and their luggage, which could push the car over its weight limit. 

All ID.3s can rapid charge at up 100kW with the biggest 77kWh battery able to charge at 125kW (this went up to 120kW and 170kW from 2023). Safe to say that most ID.3s can charge to 80% in around half an hour or less. 

There are few to things to watch out for though. When the ID.3 arrived in 2020, it wasn’t quite ready. We’re not talking about cars with three wheels or missing doors, the big problem was with the software that runs the car. 

Even Volkswagen admits that the roll-out of the ID.3 was pretty fraught. The whole car is built around a completely new software system that was still being fixed and de-bugged as the first cars were being delivered. Because of this, quite a few features were missing on early cars - things like Apple CarPlay, the head-up display and the ability to receive software updates remotely. 

The good news is that Volkswagen has fixed the problem with a series of software updates. The biggest was rolled out in January 2021 and was effectively a completely rewritten version of the original operating system. With further updates to the system and interface in the 2023 update, the serious bugs and problems experienced by early buyers have been sorted. 

We’d expect every ID.3 in the Volkswagen network to be running the latest software version by now, but if you’re buying privately or from a non-franchise dealer, make sure you check first. You can do this by clicking Settings, then System information and it will tell you what software version it has. Anything after version 3.0 or 3.2 should be fine, and will also receive over-the-air updates.

Also, some of the cars that were registered in a hurry by dealers in the first quarter of 2020 have slightly odd specification. The 1st Edition is pretty good, but some of the other models we found for sale are either black or white and have steel wheels with hubcaps - these were some of the first cars to arrive in the UK. They might not look to snazzy, but are actually well equipped.

Another thing to look for is 12 volt battery failures. Bizarrely, given that the ID.3’s battery pack could power your house for a week, it (like all electric cars) still uses a 12 volt battery to start up the computers and operate stuff like the lights and radio when you’re not driving. In the case of the ID.3, some cars had an electrical fault that allowed the battery to drain even when the car was switched off. Volkswagen have fixed this in the latest update, so hopefully that won’t be an issue any more. Hopefully... As an aside, you can also use a traditional trickle charger to keep a 12 volt battery in an electric car topped up, just as you might in a conventional petrol or diesel car. There's nothing wrong with doing that if you're having problems with the 12 volt, or are leaving the car standing for a long time. 

If you're looking at getting one of the 2023 model year cars, you'll of course pay more as it's a newer car. The 58kWh cars have less equipment, but we'd go for the Match trim and make sure that it has the comfort pack that adds heated seats. 

If you’re looking at getting your first electric car or upgrading from an older car, this should definitely be on your shopping list. But in the current market you should look at the alternatives too, as a used VW does look expensive even compared to some new cars, such as the very similar Cupra Born or even the new MG4.