The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Volkswagen ID3 common problems

What fails on the Volkswagen ID3 at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 26,011 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Volkswagen ID3's most common MOT problems are tyres, wiper blades and washers, suspension bushes, recorded in 100.0%, 8.0% and 7.7% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2021 cars pass most often (89.9%) and 2022 cars least (88.1%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Volkswagen ID3 that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 26,011 cars.

By component

What wears out on a ID3

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Volkswagen ID3 tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Tyres

    100.0% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained41.4%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained31.2%
    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained22.4%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained2.9%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  2. 2.Wiper blades and washers

    8.0% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained3.4%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.7%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.7%
    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained0.2%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  3. 3.Suspension bushes

    7.7% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained4.0%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained2.2%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained1.0%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained0.5%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  4. 4.Shock absorbers

    6.2% of failed tests

    Seals wear and the damper leaks fluid or loses its action; failure is for a leak or no damping, not for being tired.

    • “A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage” — explained6.2%

    Across all cars, shock absorbers failures climb 7-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long shock absorbers last

  5. 5.Bulbs and lamps

    5.5% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained4.3%
    • “A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained0.3%
    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained0.2%
    • “Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements” — explained0.2%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

  6. 6.Headlamp aim

    4.9% of failed tests

    Aim drifts with sagging suspension, a knocked lamp or a botched bulb change; adjustment, not a part.

    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained3.2%
    • “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements” — explained1.7%

  7. 7.Airbags

    2.5% of failed tests

    The warning lamp lit is a failure; usually a seat sensor, a connector under the seat or a clock spring.

    • “An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction” — explained2.5%

  8. 8.Brake discs

    1.9% of failed tests

    Discs thin with each pad set and pit or corrode when lightly used; failure is for significant wear, fracture or insecurity, advisory for surface condition.

    • “Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution.” — explained1.9%

    Across all cars, brake discs failures climb 3-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long brake discs last

By registration year

ID3 problems by year

MOT pass rate for Volkswagen ID3 cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. No single step here is large enough to point at a generation change.

202089%
202190%+1.1
202288%−1.8

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn ID3 owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Volkswagen ID3 tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the ID3 file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Volkswagen ID3?
Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 100.0% of failed tests), wiper blades and washers (recorded in 8.0% of failed tests), and suspension bushes (recorded in 7.7% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 26,011 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Volkswagen ID3 year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Volkswagen ID3 cars registered in 2021 do best at 89.9% and 2022 cars do worst at 88.1%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar.
Is the Volkswagen ID3 reliable?
The Volkswagen ID3 passes 89.0% of MOTs unadjusted; its fleet is too narrow in age or mileage for a fair national comparison. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Volkswagen ID3?
Start with what fails most: tyres, wiper blades and washers, suspension bushes. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of