I picked up my VW ID.4 First Edition in April 2021 and wanted to share my experience so far with reliability and build quality, including what I have had to pay to maintain it over the last 80,000 miles. I’ve also included the ID.4’s warranty and service schedule below.
Is the VW ID.4 Reliable?
In my experience, the answer is unequivocally “yes.” The ID.4 has been every bit as reliable as any other vehicle I have ever owned, EV or not. It has never died on me or encountered any critical issues. Outside of regular maintenance, and a few recalls, the ID.4 has never been to the shop for any reason.
Not only is it reliable, but the ID.4 is one of the best looking EVs on the market.
The only real knock is the software, more on that below.
Build Quality
Volkswagen built the ID.4 to the same standard as their ICE vehicles. I haven’t noticed any unordinary flaws, but here’s a breakdown of how things are holding up both inside and outside of the vehicle.
Interior Build Quality
The ID.4’s interior materials are a mix of hard and soft touch plastics; no leather is used. But are these less expensive parts coming loose and degrading more quickly?
Rattles
One of the worst build quality misses is rattles, often an indicator that tolerances weren’t very tight, or the material wasn’t designed to fit together properly. I’m happy to say that my VW ID.4 has not developed a single rattle so far and the cabin is as quiet as it was the day that I picked it up.
The ID.4 cabin has remained rattle free so far.
Material Durability
I own a First Edition ID.4, which came with a white steering wheel and various white/off-white-colored components. Many of these are on high touch surfaces such as the doors. As you can imagine, I was pretty concerned about how they would all hold up over time.
Even the door grab handles are white.
My fears were all for nothing, as with some cleaning (I use unscented baby wipes), these materials have held strong. That includes the steering wheel which is exposed to all sorts of things from dirt to sunscreen. Not only that, but they mostly remain scratch and damage-free.
The off-white steering wheel is still in great condition.
Despite being used daily, being exposed to very hot temperatures and chemicals from hair spray, the seats show no signs of use or damage. They are incredibly durable.
All in all, I am extremely pleased with how well the interior is holding up.
Exterior Build Quality
Some EVs have a reputation, deserved or not, for having weak paint that chips and scratches easily. On top of that, body panel alignment issues have also become a concern. Does the ID.4 have these same issues?
Paint
While there may be minor damage or chips here and there, especially if you look closely, my glacier white metallic ID.4’s paint has shown no signs of being weak or thin. I haven’t noticed any signs of discoloration or peeling after 80,000 miles. By the way, I recommend using this gentle car cleaner versus taking your vehicle to the wash, regardless of what you drive.
Generally speaking, my ID.4’s white paint is in great condition with no notable flaws to speak of.
Body Panels
My ID.4’s body panels are tight and uniform all around, except for two minor issues. First, my front passenger’s door sticks out ever so slightly at the bottom compared to the driver’s side. It’s a bit hard to see in pictures.
The misalignment is more obvious in real life, but it’s not a big deal either way.
The other thing I have noticed is that the light bar on the trunk can be pushed in sometimes, meaning it is popping out of place. My understanding is this is a common issue with the first model year or so. It’s still very sturdy and not at risk of falling off, but it is a defect, nonetheless.
The rear light bar can be “pushed in” if you place your hand on the VW logo.
Outside of these two very minor issues, I have no complaints whatsoever regarding the exterior.
Software
If anything has left me disappointed with my ownership so far, it’s definitely the software. Not only does the ID.4 lack basic controls that most other EVs have, like the ability to lock and unlock the doors from the app, the infotainment system is filled with annoying bugs. Even with the latest software update (version 3.1), menus can be very slow to respond.
Oddly, the app labels my First Edition ID.4 as a “Pro” trim too.
The truth is, the ID.4’s infotainment system is probably the worst I’ve experienced out of any modern vehicle I’ve driven. It seems that VW tried to do too much while at the same time skipping past the basics. The software seems too heavy for the weak computing hardware they decided to use, which is a huge bummer considering the screen is otherwise large and nice to look at.
The ID.4 infotainment screen is large and vivid, but frustrating to use at times.
Software Updates
Another downside to the ID.4’s software is a lack of updates. In five years, my vehicle has received one update, which required a 6-month wait and a visit to the dealership to complete. Though I’d say the system is slightly more responsive than before, it also introduced some additional annoyances. For example, there’s now a profile screen you have to bypass every time you get into the car, even with only one profile created.
Over-the-air (OTA) software updates have been rolling out for newer model year vehicles since the end of 2023, but I am told that First Edition ID.4s are having compatibility issues which have left some of them completely bricked, so this update is not available for my car just yet. A bit disappointing, but not unexpected.
ID.4 Maintenance
The ID.4, like most EVs, requires minimal maintenance. This mainly includes fluid changes (windshield washer, brakes), new tires, and wipers.
Relatively speaking, there’s very little under the hood of the ID.4 to maintain.
You can read more about the service schedule in the ID.4 manual.
Outside of the initial 2 years or 20,000 miles included VW service plan, where minor items like wiper blades and cabin air filters were covered, I have only replaced these components:
- Windshield wipers (three times and I don’t buy the cheap kind)
- $275.00 total
- Cabin air filter (three times, due to living near heavy construction and rock quarries)
- ~$125.00 total
- All four tires
Tire Replacement
The largest maintenance expense has been the tires, totaling $1,500 so far. Volkswagen ID.4 models come with various tire brands and sizes based on your trim and configuration. My 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 First Edition was equipped with the following:
- Front Tires: 20″ Bridgestone Alenza Sport All-Season (235/50)
- Rear Tires: 20″ Bridgestone Alenza Sport All-Season (255/45)
These tires didn’t include a warranty. Since my ID.4 is rear-wheel drive, most of the power goes to the rear tires, so they wore out first.
I changed the rear tires at 24,500 miles when the tread depth hit 2/32″. The vehicle started slipping, and it’s usually better to replace them closer to 3/32″, which would have been around 22,000 to 23,000 miles. When it came time to replace them, I wanted a pair of tires that would be much more robust and come with a warranty of some kind.
My rear tires’ tread depth at 23k miles.
I went with the Michelin CrossClimate2s. They came with a 30,000-mile warranty (60,000 miles if your vehicle doesn’t have different tire sizes for the front and the back).
The Michelin CrossClimate2 tires have a much longer tread life.
I had some initial concerns about reduced range or increased cabin noise based on online reviews, but this hasn’t been the case at all. After 55,000+ miles, they are still sitting around 6/32″. That means thousands of miles of tread life left.
New VW ID.4 Warranty
The ID.4 comes with a fairly standard warranty, with some unique perks, like 3 years or 36,000 miles of coverage for towing to an Electrify America station in case you run out of charge.
Comprehensive Limited Warranty
The comprehensive limited warranty, also known as the “bumper-to-bumper” warranty, is designed to protect you against defects in materials and workmanship. Your ID.4’s bumper-to-bumper warranty lasts for 4 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. It does not cover things like wheel alignments, tire balance, tire repairs, or replacements.
Battery Warranty
Electric vehicle batteries are obviously critical to EVs. Luckily, US law has a standard warranty period for all electric cars. The battery warranty covers you for 8 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first.
Additional Warranties
In addition to the comprehensive and battery warranties, you are also covered for:
- Corrosion: 7 years or 100,000 miles.
- Included Scheduled Maintenance: Volkswagen also includes scheduled maintenance within the first 2 years or 20,000 miles of ownership at no extra cost. This covers basic part replacements like the air filter and wiper blades.
- Roadside Assistance: VW provides 3 years or 36,000 miles of roadside assistance available 24/7, including towing your ID.4 to the nearest Electrify America station if it runs out of charge.
You can find the entire warranty here.
Final Thoughts
I was one of the first people to own a VW ID.4 in the United States and figured it would come with some early adopter bugs that needed to be worked out. While that has been the case with the software, almost everything else has exceeded my expectations to this point. I’m quite happy with just how reliable, rattle-free, and durable the ID.4 has been so far.
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Sources
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