Spare Battery Modules

[Ians]

My car (ID.3 First Edition) has been with Northampton VW for four weeks now with a battery fault identified after upgrading to V 3.2 They are waiting for parts from VW and told me today that it will be at least another two weeks before parts arrive and then goodness knows how long before they actually fix my car as they have 20 in the same state. It is not Northampton's VW fault. Fortunately I have a replacement EV from Enterprise although its only a Corsa. At this rate it looks as though it will need an MOT before I get it back! This is absolutely ludicrous. VW should stop building new cars until you have satisfied the spares backlog!

[TimF]

Our ID3 (2021) had a full battery module check as a formal recall item twinned with the software upgrade (to 3.0, with 3.1 and 3.2 occuring OTA in the following days). Was the fault after 3.2, or identified during the 3.2 work?

[RichyJ91]

A week after I had the 3.2 update I started to get the dashboard warning about the electric drive not working correctly. They’ve since told me this will stay on until the battery modules are replaced, which I’m now in the queue for. She said if it’s driving fine with no issues then to just keep doing that, rather than leave it with them unnecessarily whilst I wait. They have 14 ID3’s on site doing that, and have been for weeks, whilst driving around in ICE courtesy cars. They’re estimating Jan/Fen for mine, so it’s just a waiting game.

[Mark_Fox]

I have an ID3 purchased in July 2021 (Dublin) and the battery module repair issue need was identified in July 2023 shortly after the service and installation of software update. I was advised that the car is safe to drive last Aug but the message - 'Electric drive not working correctly - Please visit workshop' is still showing. The part was due to available in Nov 2023. Was advised by VW on Dec 5th "We have been advised that unfortunately, there is no ETA for the part due for your vehicle." There are 21 other vehicles that have the same issue from a VW dealership in South Dublin. It is highly unsatisfactory and I am unhappy how long VW is allowing this situation to continue indefinitely without resolution. Does anyone else in UK and Ireland have the same issue?

[Midgex]

A week after I had the 3.2 update I started to get the dashboard warning about the electric drive not working correctly. They’ve since told me this will stay on until the battery modules are replaced, which I’m now in the queue for. She said if it’s driving fine with no issues then to just keep doing that, rather than leave it with them unnecessarily whilst I wait. They have 14 ID3’s on site doing that, and have been for weeks, whilst driving around in ICE courtesy cars. They’re estimating Jan/Fen for mine, so it’s just a waiting game.

Tempting to think that if you have 14 cars each lacking a battery module, you could send 11 of them out, and keep 2 in need of a complete {battery||set of modules} and one needing not quite that much.

[TimF]

A week after I had the 3.2 update I started to get the dashboard warning about the electric drive not working correctly. They’ve since told me this will stay on until the battery modules are replaced, which I’m now in the queue for. She said if it’s driving fine with no issues then to just keep doing that, rather than leave it with them unnecessarily whilst I wait. They have 14 ID3’s on site doing that, and have been for weeks, whilst driving around in ICE courtesy cars. They’re estimating Jan/Fen for mine, so it’s just a waiting game.

Tempting to think that if you have 14 cars each lacking a battery module, you could send 11 of them out, and keep 2 in need of a complete {battery||set of modules} and one needing not quite that much.

Apart from the problems of organising the lottery which determines the losers, that does seem like an excellent idea!

[gfoldys]

And the theft of the modules.

[MotMot]

And the theft of the modules.

That would be hard. You have to disconnect and lower the battery pack itself (200kg?) then undo c.50 bolts around the top edge of the pack to open it - then remove the main fuse/control boxes and then you can start to disconnect individual modules. Not something that could easily be done under a car in a car park...

[RichyJ91]

A week after I had the 3.2 update I started to get the dashboard warning about the electric drive not working correctly. They’ve since told me this will stay on until the battery modules are replaced, which I’m now in the queue for. She said if it’s driving fine with no issues then to just keep doing that, rather than leave it with them unnecessarily whilst I wait. They have 14 ID3’s on site doing that, and have been for weeks, whilst driving around in ICE courtesy cars. They’re estimating Jan/Fen for mine, so it’s just a waiting game.

Tempting to think that if you have 14 cars each lacking a battery module, you could send 11 of them out, and keep 2 in need of a complete {battery||set of modules} and one needing not quite that much.

Apart from the problems of organising the lottery which determines the losers, that does seem like an excellent idea!

Yep. I had my tyre recall completed recently after initially being told my tyres wouldn’t arrive for months. Took it in for it’s first service and they did the tyres too in the end, stating they were meant for someone else who was waiting but mine was on site so it made sense. Sucks to be the other person, but hopefully they’ll have gotten theirs shortly after!

[Midgex]

A week after I had the 3.2 update I started to get the dashboard warning about the electric drive not working correctly. They’ve since told me this will stay on until the battery modules are replaced, which I’m now in the queue for. She said if it’s driving fine with no issues then to just keep doing that, rather than leave it with them unnecessarily whilst I wait. They have 14 ID3’s on site doing that, and have been for weeks, whilst driving around in ICE courtesy cars. They’re estimating Jan/Fen for mine, so it’s just a waiting game.

Tempting to think that if you have 14 cars each lacking a battery module, you could send 11 of them out, and keep 2 in need of a complete {battery||set of modules} and one needing not quite that much.

Apart from the problems of organising the lottery which determines the losers, that does seem like an excellent idea!

Well, the "losers" are getting a complete new battery each, or at least set of modules in their battery shell. Or in one case half a new set. Which is probably one of the nicer ways to "lose". And the "winners" have a warranty to the same termination date they had before.

It is the sort of thing that sometimes a group of people can decide amongst themselves, with someone amiable in a rush and someone else who fancies a later newer set.

As to theft, is the item the battery, or the individual modules? If one is handing in a battery of IIRC 6 modules because it is not entirely correct, and being given in return a battery of 6 modules which are correct, then no loss seems to have occurred. We don't get back components swapped out under warranty, whereas the components removed for a paid replacement may be demanded for inspection, and even there what has been bought is often a reconditioned/remanufactured item for a price which includes the original.