Volkswagen ID3, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
55,453 Volkswagen ID3s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 89% of initial MOT tests, 16.7 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific ID3? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Volkswagen ID3 at the MOT
89% of 26,130 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the ID3 50th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where ID3s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Volkswagen ID3 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (23.1%), condition has ply or cords exposed (17%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (12.8%).
The MOT page lists every common ID3 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The ID3's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.58.4% of ID3 failure items
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.17.1% of ID3 failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.8.2% of ID3 failure items
Volkswagen ID3s in the UK
55,453 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 259% since the end of 2021.
- Change since 2021
- +259%from 15,429 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2023half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2023 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 9,098against 10,984 in 2021
- Declared off the road
- 2850.5% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Volkswagen ID3s since 2020
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2020 | 4,784 |
| End of 2021 | 15,429 |
| End of 2022 | 24,720 |
| End of 2023 | 34,728 |
| End of 2024 | 40,097 |
| End of 2025 | 49,134 |
| End of June 2026 | 55,453 |
How old they are
Licensed Volkswagen ID3s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,981 | 9,098 |
| 2024 | 6,308 | 6,380 |
| 2023 | 9,986 | 10,265 |
| 2022 | 9,077 | 9,826 |
| 2021 | 10,211 | 10,984 |
| 2020 | 4,562 | 4,836 |
Volkswagen ID3 recalls
5 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volkswagen ID3. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every ID3 is affected.
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Oct 2026 R/2026/397
93MF - Charging restricted to 80%
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On vehicles of the ID. product line equipped with high-voltage batteries from a certain supplier there is a suspicion that individual components of the high-voltage battery may not meet our high quality standards. In rare cases when the high-voltage battery is at a high charge level the battery may overheat. This creates a risk of fire which could lead to severe or deadly injuries of persons within and outside of the vehicle as well as to significant material damage.
- Remedy
- Until the check and if necessary repair of the vehicle it is very important that the high-voltage battery only be charged to a maximum charge level of 80 %. Furthermore the warnings (stickers) included with the campaign letter must be applied to the vehicle. This measure is both for the safety of the vehicle owner and to protect any other people who use the vehicle.
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Mar 2026 R/2026/150
Battery Check
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- For affected vehicles battery cells were fitted in the high-voltage battery that can demonstrate an increased self-discharge due to a production fault. In the event of heavy self-discharge the yellow indicator lamps may light up.
- Remedy
- The affected battery modules must be checked and if necessary replaced. The vehicle may only be charged outdoors and up to maximum 80%.
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Dec 2025 R/2026/046
Replace battery modules
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles a module in the high-voltage battery may not meet the manufacturer's quality standards. This could lead to a noticeable loss of range or to the yellow warning lamp coming on. Furthermore there is a risk of overheating within the high-voltage battery. Overheating can lead to a vehicle fire with a risk of severe or deadly injuries for the vehicle occupants.
- Remedy
- Check and replace affected battery modules.
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Mar 2023 R/2023/072
Volkswagen AG has established that on a few ID.3 vehicles the front passenger airbag may not be securely bolted in place as intended
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On certain vehicles the front passenger airbag may not be securely bolted in place as intended.
- Remedy
- The front passenger airbag is to be deactivated until this recall campaign is carried out. It must then be inspected and if necessary resecured.
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Nov 2021 R/2021/409
Possible missing bearing bush in the area of the steering worm gear
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- On all affected vehicles the steering rack must be replaced
Other Volkswagen models
The most-tested Volkswagen models in 2025, against the ID3's 89% MOT pass rate.
- Volkswagen Golf
- Volkswagen Polo
- Volkswagen Transporter
- Volkswagen Tiguan
- Volkswagen Passat
- Volkswagen Caddy
Volkswagen ID3 FAQs
How many Volkswagen ID3s are there in the UK?
55,453 Volkswagen ID3s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 285 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Volkswagen ID3 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 89% first-time pass rate for the Volkswagen ID3 across 26,130 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Volkswagen ID3 had any recalls?
5 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volkswagen ID3. The most recent was published in October 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Volkswagen ID3?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and suspension. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Volkswagen ID3's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found an ID3?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Volkswagen history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Volkswagen VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded). Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.