Volkswagen ID. Buzz - Reliability and safety

Safety kit is first-rate on the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. There are seven airbags (front, side, curtain and central), and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection is standard. Adaptive cruise control with speed limiter is also included, as is lane assist, road-sign recognition and a seatbelt alert for every position. Updates for 2024 saw blind-spot monitoring added as standard, rather than being part of the pricey Assistance Package Plus option, because Euro NCAP now tests for a warning system to ensure you don’t open a car door into the path of a cyclist or vehicle approaching from behind.

In the LWB model there are four sets of Isofix child seat attachments in the back – two for each row – while the middle row slides forward to give plenty of room to get a child seat inside. Euro NCAP gave the ID. Buzz an 87 per cent score for child occupant protection in tests in 2022, when it earned a five-star overall rating.

Volkswagen as a brand has been dropping quickly down our Driver Power rankings, from 18th out of 29 manufacturers in 2022, to 27th (out of 32) in our best car manufacturer rankings in 2023, and 29th in the most recent 2024 poll. One glimmer of hope for ID. Buzz buyers is that the model is sold via VW Commercial Vehicle centres, although a lot of these share sites with the passenger car showrooms.

Warranty

A three-year warranty is standard fare from Volkswagen, although there’s a 100,000-mile limit, which is 40,000 miles longer than for the brand’s petrol models. Roadside assistance is offered for the same period.

Servicing

Adding to the ID. Buzz’s low running costs is a complimentary service plan that covers the car’s first three inspections and its first MoT. While EVs have lower maintenance costs than combustion-engined cars, this offer will still give added peace of mind.