CarCareTruth Score
Decent.
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Last reviewed May 26, 2026
TL;DR Sony STARVIS IMX335 3-channel system · daytime footage is solid for the sensor class with community-confirmed plate legibility at close range, but independent reviews document night plate reads falling short on dark roads. Buffered parking mode (15-second pre-record) works but requires a separately purchased hardwire kit. Supercapacitor design: no lithium battery to degrade in a hot car. FCC-only · no independent UL/ETL electrical safety certification. Currently not in stock on Amazon.
The Vantrue E3 is a 3-channel dash cam recording simultaneously: front at 2.7K (1944P), interior at 1080P via four infrared LED lights, and rear at 1080P with HDR · all at 30fps. The front sensor is a Sony STARVIS IMX335 (first-generation STARVIS, not the newer STARVIS 2 found in flagship models). Daytime footage from dashcamtalk.com testers: plates readable, footage described as good and sharp, with some compression blockiness in high-complexity scenes. Night footage from Trusted Reviews: readable under bright streetlights but plates not legible on poorly lit roads · a documented limitation. Interior IR night vision is confirmed functional in full darkness. Buffered parking mode pre-records 15 seconds before a motion trigger; the required hardwire kit is sold separately. The supercapacitor stores no lithium, eliminating the battery-degradation failure mode common to dash cams in hot parked cars.
The E3 fits drivers who want 3-channel coverage at a mid-range price and park in climates where the supercapacitor's durability matters. Skip it if night-vision performance is the priority · the STARVIS IMX335 front sensor is a generation behind the STARVIS 2 units used in flagship 3-channel cameras, and independent reviews confirm the dark-road gap. Also skip if a hardwire parking kit is needed out of the box: the kit is sold separately and adds cost.
No chemical exposure during normal installation or use. FCC-only certification (no UL or ETL independent electrical safety listing; FCC ID 2A7EH-E3). The supercapacitor contains no lithium, so no battery disposal concern applies; standard Best Buy or municipal e-waste drop-off covers end-of-life disposal. No active CPSC recall as of 2026-05-17. No California Prop 65 warning on the product listing.
No · it uses a built-in supercapacitor instead of a lithium-ion battery. This eliminates the heat-related battery degradation that affects lithium-battery dash cams in hot-car environments, where interior temperatures can exceed 140°F.
Yes. The buffered motion detection mode pre-records 15 seconds before a trigger event and 30 seconds after, so footage of what happened before impact is captured. Note: the required hardwire kit is sold separately (ASIN B083XB8T7T) · it is not included in the box.
The E3 uses the Sony STARVIS IMX335 (first-generation STARVIS, front 2.7K) while the N4 Pro uses Sony STARVIS 2 IMX678 (front 4K). The N4 Pro also includes the hardwire kit and features PlatePix plate enhancement · the E3 has neither. The E3 is the more affordable entry in Vantrue's 3-channel lineup.
Marketing copy from Vantrue, via Amazon. Not editorial.
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