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VW ID.3 Major Software Update

Quick summary: an update with a change in the software version number took about four hours, during which the vehicle was not usable! The information in the infotainment system about the duration was wrong.

Experience report on a major software update at the VW ID.3

The update described here was one from version 3.2 to 3.7. The update was done over the air, i.e. without a visit to the workshop. Two weeks before the update (October 17, 2024), an email came from Volkswagen announcing the update. The email did not contain the really relevant information given in the summary above. It did say "that the update can only be installed when the vehicle is parked", but the duration was not specified. A link included in the email didn't help either, as of course you don't want to spend a long time searching a website for the information that should be displayed immediately because it is the most relevant. I only found the information about update duration afterwards after a long search.
On November 2nd, 2024 (the email was long forgotten then), the vehicle finally reported in the infotainment system that the update was available. According to the message on the display, it should take about 20 minutes (!). Since I was planning to park for about two hours, I of course started it.
Two hours and a few minutes later, I returned to the car. The update was about two-thirds complete, the car wouldn't start and the display showed a message that the key was not recognized. In addition, there was occasionally a message that a fault in the 12-volt battery required a visit to the workshop. A call to the VW emergency hotline brought the information that this would of course take four hours (or longer if the internet connection was poor), that the car would of course not be usable during this time and that I had been informed by email, that I had to read my emails carefully and the information linked from them. Which, as I said, were not easy to find. The hotline didn't know what to do with the error messages either. So I had to kill more than another hour of pointless time (luckily there was nothing really important to do and no other appointment due) until the update was finished and the car was drivable again. Fortunately, the alleged errors had vanished into thin air. The total time for the update were quite exactly four hours.
Something like that could be done much better, dear Volkswagen AG! Firstly, it wouldn't be a big effort to add the relevant and correct information (takes about four hours, car doesn't work during this time) to the display message about the update availability. Secondly, this information naturally belongs in a prominent place in the corresponding email and not hidden somewhere on a website that can only be reached after three clicks.

Last change November 03. 2024

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