VW e-up! / Škoda Citigo e iV / Seat Mii electric vs MEB (ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz, Enyaq, Born, Q4 e-tron): which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the VW e-up! / Škoda Citigo e iV / Seat Mii electric carries less risk than the MEB (ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz, Enyaq, Born, Q4 e-tron): 30/100 versus 48/100 (both moderate risk). The VW e-up! / Škoda Citigo e iV / Seat Mii electric has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Damaged cells in the high-voltage battery (January 2021 recall)»; the MEB (ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz, Enyaq, Born, Q4 e-tron) has 3 documented serious faults, the main one being «Faulty modules in the high-voltage battery with fire risk».

Risk index

VW e-up! / Škoda Citigo e iV / Seat Mii electric

Moderate risk · 1 serious fault

Lower risk

Risk index

MEB (ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz, Enyaq, Born, Q4 e-tron)

Moderate risk · 3 serious faults

The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated

Reviewed on 30 October 202618 sources How we work

Is the VW e-up! / Škoda Citigo e iV / Seat Mii electric reliable?

The up! electric drivetrain has few documented faults: the only significant one is a January 2021 recall over damaged cells that affected 213 cars worldwide. The data is scarce because few units were sold.^[1][2]

See the 2 of the VW e-up! / Škoda Citigo e iV / Seat Mii electric faults

Is the MEB (ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz, Enyaq, Born, Q4 e-tron) reliable?

There are no documented faults in the electric motor or inverter, but 2026 battery campaigns mean the chassis number should be checked: faulty modules (March) and supplier cells with charging limited to 80% (October). Charging cutoffs are the other recurring fault.^[3][4][5]

See the 4 of the MEB (ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz, Enyaq, Born, Q4 e-tron) faults

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of VW e-up! / Škoda Citigo e iV / Seat Mii electric and MEB (ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz, Enyaq, Born, Q4 e-tron)
Item	VW e-up! / Škoda Citigo e iV / Seat Mii electric	MEB (ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz, Enyaq, Born, Q4 e-tron)
Technical data
Type	Engine	Engine
Fuel	Electrical	Electrical
Displacement	—	—
Timing	—	—
Power	54–83 hp	146–340 hp
Production	2013–2023^[6][7]	since 2019^{[8][9][10][11][12][13]}
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)	30Moderate risk	48Moderate risk
Documented faults	2	4
Of high or critical severity	1	3
Worst severity	Critical severity	Critical severity
Main faults	Critical severity: Damaged cells in the high-voltage battery (January 2021 recall) Low severity: High-voltage battery discharged after a long period parked	Critical severity: Faulty modules in the high-voltage battery with fire risk Critical severity: Faulty supplier cells: charging limited to 80% until the battery is checked High severity: Cells with high self-discharge in early cars: service measures 93P7 and 93Q2
Most expensive documented repair	No reliable data	No reliable data
Which versions to buy
BuyRecommended versions	None	None
With cautionVersions to be cautious about	e-up! 18.7 kWh, up to 82 hp (2013-2019)^[1] e-up!, Citigo e iV and Mii electric 36.8 kWh, 83 hp (2019-2023)^[2][14]	55 to 62 kWh gross batteries with APP 310 motor (2020-2024)^[4][5][15] 77 to 84 kWh gross batteries with APP 310 motor (2020-)^[3][16][17] APP 550 motor, 210 to 240 kW (2023-)^[3][18] All-wheel drive with front asynchronous motor (2021-)^[3][4]
AvoidVersions to avoid	None	None

Severity of each fault: green, low; amber, medium; red, high; dark red, critical. How we rate them

Cars that each one is fitted to

VW e-up! / Škoda Citigo e iV / Seat Mii electric

MEB (ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz, Enyaq, Born, Q4 e-tron)

See the 8 models with the MEB (ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz, Enyaq, Born, Q4 e-tron)

Other comparisons

With the VW e-up! / Škoda Citigo e iV / Seat Mii electric

With the MEB (ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID.Buzz, Enyaq, Born, Q4 e-tron)

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Sources

Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.

Volkswagen e-up!: Probleme und SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 30 October 2026 · in German
Rückrufaktion bei VW E-Up, Seat Mii und Skoda Citigoauto motor und sport · Motoring press · published January 2021 · consulted 30 October 2026 · in German
Brandgefahr: Rückruf für VW ID.3, ID.4, ID.7, ID. Buzz und Cupra BornADAC · Reliability study · published 21 October 2026 · consulted 30 October 2026 · in German
Safety Gate SR/00953/26: VW ID. BUZZ, ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.BUZZ CARGO (batería de alta tensión)EU Safety Gate · Official body · published 31 March 2026 · consulted 30 October 2026
Cupra Born: Bekannte Probleme, Schwachstellen und RückrufeGebrauchtwagenberater · Motoring press · published 7 August 2026 · consulted 30 October 2026 · in German
VW e-up! (Wikipedia, alemán)Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026 · in German
Volkswagen e-Up! (Wikipedia, inglés)Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026
Volkswagen Group MEB platformWikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026
Volkswagen ID.3Wikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026
Volkswagen ID.4Wikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026
Volkswagen ID.7Wikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026
Škoda EnyaqWikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026
Cupra BornWikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026
Fiabilité Volkswagen Up (2011-2023) : pannes et avis des propriétairesFiches-auto.fr · Reliability study · consulted 30 October 2026 · in French
VW ID.3: bekannte Probleme, Schwachstellen und RückrufeGebrauchtwagenberater · Motoring press · published 19 May 2025 · consulted 30 October 2026 · in German
Volkswagen ID.3 Battery Holds Up Amazingly After 160,000 Km Test (prueba de resistencia del ADAC)Zecar · Motoring press · published 17 July 2025 · consulted 30 October 2026
107,000 mile VW ID.3 loses just eight miles of range in independent endurance testElectrifying.com · Motoring press · published 16 July 2025 · consulted 30 October 2026
VW bereitet Batterie-Rückruf für mehrere ID.-Modelle vorelectrive · Motoring press · published 16 October 2026 · consulted 30 October 2026 · in German