Used Volkswagen ID4 cars for sale

Used Volkswagen ID4 pros and cons

Is a second hand Volkswagen ID4 a good car?

The Volkswagen ID4 was the German company’s second purpose-built EV, following on from the ID3 hatch. Taking the form of a family-sized SUV, it’s been a popular model and there are plenty available on the used market. 

There are plenty of versions available - four different power outputs, two sizes of battery and several trim levels, all with their own merits. Performance ranges from acceptable to pretty rapid, but there’s no really quick model like you get with alternatives such as the Tesla Model Y Performance or Kia EV6 GT.

Official range on a charge is over 200 miles for every model, though the larger battery cars are capable of more than 300 miles on paper - that’s more like 280 miles in the real world, which is still impressive. Driving the ID4 isn’t exactly exciting, but it’s comfortable over bumps and easy to manoeuvre around town.

The ID4’s interior isn’t particularly clever, but it is big and spacious - there’s more legroom than many alternatives and a large, deep boot. The biggest issue with the ID4’s cabin is the infotainment system. With almost no physical switchgear, you have to control everything through the touchscreen - which has an awkward interface and can be unresponsive to the touch. It spoils an otherwise solidly built interior.

What to look for when buying a used Volkswagen ID4

At the time of writing the ID4 has been subject to one official recall - relating to a missing bearing bush in the steering system. Check before you buy that this has been rectified.

The good news is that as an electric car, the ID4 has far fewer moving parts than a petrol or diesel car, so maintenance should prove relatively cheap and easy. 

Some ID4s - especially earlier models - are prone to electrical gremlins. Owners report issues with the infotainment system being unresponsive or not working at all - not ideal when you have to use it to control nearly all the car’s features - and other functions, such as the cruise control or even things like the sunroof blind, can suffer bugs too.

Software updates from Volkswagen can improve the stability of these systems, so make sure your car has had all the updates applied - you may need to visit a dealer to check this. 

With a three-year warranty as standard, the earliest versions of the Volkswagen ID4 are approaching the end of their warranty periods - so make sure any necessary work has been done before this runs out. The ID4 didn’t feature in the 2024 Driver Power survey, but Volkswagen as a brand came an unimpressive 29th out of 32.

Volkswagen ID4 FAQs