Skip to content
Emergency
KNOWN FAULTS · Volkswagen

Volkswagen ID.3 / ID.4 / ID.5 / ID.7 / ID.Buzz common problems.

2020–2026 · Electric

Sources are not verified in real time and no entry confirms that your car is affected.

Buying it used?Which engine has the fewest documented faults, which recalls to ask the seller about and what to look for on the test drive.Before you buy

3 known faults with sources

Engines: Eléctrico (Electric)

MEB platform 12 V battery and softwareElectrics and software
Engine / equipment
MEB platform EVs: VW ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.7 and ID.Buzz, Skoda Enyaq and Elroq, Cupra Born and Tavascan, Audi Q4 e-tron
Period mentioned
2020–2026
Symptoms
The car will not start or wake up after standing even though the traction battery is charged; 12 V battery warnings; screens that freeze or go black; charging sessions that will not start or cut out.
Possible cause described
The 12 V auxiliary battery frequently suffers deep discharge, and low voltage in turn causes starting and charging faults. Early software versions (1.x and 2.x) had many bugs; the ICAS1 control unit manages comfort and energy.
Check for the garage
Check the 12 V battery condition and the quiescent current draw, and confirm at the dealer that the car has the latest software. With ODIS: high-voltage battery (8B), high-voltage electronics (8C), charger (8E) and ICAS1 (C7).
Cost cited in the source
12 V battery or update: approx. €0–370 (converted from dollars)A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Sources from the original database

View full entry

Engines: Eléctrico (Electric)

Applies if: Mainly the 2020–2021 ID.3 with software before version 2.0; the ID.4 got 2.1 from the factory.

The ID.3 will not get ready to drive: flat 12 V battery and false warnings from the first softwareElectrical and electronic systems
Engine / equipment
Early Volkswagen ID.3 electric (software before version 2.0)
Period mentioned
2020–2021
Symptoms
The car will not get “ready to drive” even with the main battery charged, because the auxiliary 12 V battery is flat. The first software also showed warnings with no real fault: an intermittent airbag light, a false electric-drive fault message, charging that does not start at some chargers or a temperature gauge that does not work.
Possible cause described
The 12 V battery discharge was one of the most frequent complaints on early ID.3s (according to L'argus, in 2020 54% of ADAC call-outs to these cars were for it). Volkswagen fixed it with software updates 2.0 (December 2020) and 2.1 (fitted in production from 22/2/2021), together with the other false warnings; to move to version 3.0 the car first needed 2.4, which required replacing the 12 V battery with a new model. In ADAC's long-term test, a 2021 ID.3 failed to start at 158,000 km because of the 12 V battery, and Volkswagen said a software update would have prevented it.
Check for the garage
Measure and test the 12 V battery and ask Volkswagen which software version the car has; if it is not up to date, ask for the update (it may require replacing the 12 V battery). If warnings appear with no clear fault, check the software first before replacing parts.
Cost cited in the source
The update, at the dealer; a new 12 V battery cost €456 in the ADAC test.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Sources from the original database

View full entry

Engines: Eléctrico (Electric)

Applies if: US bulletin (93-24-01) for the 2021 to 2023 model year ID.4; in Europe, ask the dealer.

Yellow electrical system message and less range from cells that self-discharge (2021–2023 ID.4)High-voltage battery
Engine / equipment
Volkswagen ID.4 electric
Period mentioned
2021–2023 (US model years)
Symptoms
The yellow electrical system fault message appears with code P0BBD00 and the range can be lower or keep dropping.
Possible cause described
Some high-voltage battery cells self-discharge too much because of a production fault, which reduces capacity and range. VW improved battery production from week 46 of 2024, and the workshop replaces the affected cell module (bulletin 93-24-01).
Check for the garage
Ask the workshop to read the battery control module (address 008C) and apply bulletin 93-24-01 if code P0BBD00 appears with one of the listed symptom codes.
Cost cited in the source
No verified estimate; ask the garage for a quote.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Sources from the original database

View full entry

Engines for this model