VW ID.3 after 160,000 km — reliability tested
The largest public organization of motorists in Germany and Europe, ADAC, has been testing the endurance of the Volkswagen ID.3 electric car for the fourth year. What happened to this car after the manufacturer's warranty expired?
It was reported by Moto.
What is the battery status?
Volkswagen offers a warranty of 160,000 kilometers or eight years, whichever comes first. ADAC sees this milestone as an opportunity to analyze the ID.3 in detail.
Testers confirmed that the electric car had a percentage of the original battery capacity remaining at 91% after 160,000 kilometers. It is significantly higher than the minimum limit of 70% promised by Volkswagen for this mileage.
It is worth noting that during the long tests, the battery was regularly charged to 100%, which put a heavy strain on the cells. Using a fast household charger, the car was also charged much more often.
Despite the reduced capacity, the ID.3 still has almost the same range as when it was purchased. It is possible thanks to regular software updates that have improved the efficiency of the car.
For the first 7,000 km, the car consumed 20 kilowatt hours (kWh) per 100 km; now this figure has reached 18.3 kWh/100 km.
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What's wrong with the ID.3?
Despite the battery being in good condition, several repairs had to be made.
For example, the GPS antenna failed, which also prevented the eCall system from working. ADAC reported that the cost of the repair was EUR 525.
After 158,000 km, the ID.3 briefly broke down completely when a malfunction in the automatic door opening system prevented it from starting. This problem was only solved with a software update.
The faulty charging port also required a repair at a garage, costing EUR 227.
The car has just undergone its second maintenance service, which cost EUR 427. Almost half of this amount was spent on air conditioning.
ADAC notes that the ID.3's durability test is far from complete and will continue to document any unforeseen repairs.
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