Whether you’re a new Volkswagen owner or have owned one for years, it’s an excellent idea to understand the Volkswagen warranty. If your vehicle breaks down, the warranty can be the key to saving you hundreds of dollars in repair costs. This article will cover everything you need to know about your Volkswagen warranty, including prices, coverages, and extended warranty options and how they can benefit you.
What Is the Volkswagen Warranty?
A Volkswagen warranty is a type of vehicle warranty designed to protect against having to pay for replacement and labor costs associated with specific parts of your vehicle if they experience mechanical faults or electrical failure. In most cases, these components stop working because of faulty workmanship. The Volkswagen warranty offers extensive protection for Volkswagen owners, which comes with limited years and miles.
What Does the Volkswagen Warranty Cover?
The Volkswagen New Vehicle Limited Warranty covers 2020 and newer Volkswagen models. It lasts four years/50,000 miles, which is slightly above the industry average.
It’s also worth noting that The People First Warranty covered the 2018 and 2019 models. It was a six-year/72,000-mile warranty, and it still stands. That means if you buy 2018 or 2019 models, you will get the lengthier type of warranty, not the four-year/50,000-mile warranty.
Types of protection in the new warranty include:
- Bumper-to-bumper warranty: four years/50,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty: four years/50,000 miles
- Battery warranty: three years/36,000 miles
- Parts and accessories: one year/12,000 miles
- Federal emission warranty: up to eight years/80,000 miles
The warranty length varies based on your car model and year. It’s also essential to understand the Volkswagen warranty is fully transferable if you sell your car to a private party as long as your vehicle is still within coverage.
What’s Not Covered Under the Volkswagen Warranty?
While Volkswagen offers comprehensive protection, like any factory warranty, it has limitations. The manufacturer’s coverage does not cover the following systems and parts:
- Accidents and collisions
- Damage caused by theft or vandalism
- Tires, tire balancing, and wheel alignments
- Maintenance services after the first two years
- Wear and tear parts like brake pads and wiper blades
- Damage caused by lack of maintenance or improper maintenance
- Non-genuine Volkswagen parts
- Environmental damage
- Repairs not completed at a Volkswagen dealership
- Damage caused by improper fluid use
- Damage caused by driving the vehicle after dashboard warning
The Volkswagen warranty does not cover any form of modification. If you add components that did not originally come with your vehicle, even if they are from other Volkswagen models, the warranty might not cover these parts. If you have a bad tire on your 2021 Volkswagen model, you might need to visit the authorized dealer of that tire brand, not the Volkswagen dealer.
Is There a Pre-owned Volkswagen Warranty?
If you’re looking for a certified pre-owned (CPO) Volkswagen, you might need to check the company’s used car warranty plans before buying. CPOs come with a two-year/24,000-mile comprehensive limited warranty to protect the vehicle’s critical components. The Volkswagen CPO vehicle warranty offers two years of 24/7 emergency roadside assistance. Whether you bought your Volkswagen from a Volkswagen dealer or an individual, the manufacturer’s warranty might still cover your vehicle.
How To Check if You Have a Volkswagen Warranty
If you’re purchasing your vehicle from an individual seller rather than a dealership, you might not know if your car is still under warranty. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can confirm this critical information before buying the vehicle. Follow the two steps below to check the status of your Volkswagen warranty:
- Get your Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN: You can find your VIN printed on the lower-left corner of the dashboard and in your owner’s manual. If you can’t find it in these two areas, check under the driver’s side windshield or the inside panel of the driver’s door.
- Call your dealer: Call your Volkswagen dealer, ideally the one where the previous owner purchased the vehicle. If you don’t have that information, call any local retailer and ask for the warranty status and its expiration.
Volkswagen Extended Warranty
Your vehicle’s warranty ends after reaching four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first, but you can still get long-term coverage by buying an extended warranty.
What Is an Extended Warranty?
An extended warranty is a service contract that extends the manufacturer’s warranty coverage for replacements and repair parts. Not all vehicles need extended protection.
Do You Need a Volkswagen Extended Warranty?
It’s imperative to assess your personal situation, repair costs in your area, and your Volkswagen’s reliability to determine if you need an extended warranty. Determine if you can afford to pay for emergency vehicle repairs every time they happen. You also need to determine how long you intend to own the vehicle.
If you plan to sell it and get a new Volkswagen before the four-year warranty is over, you don’t need to get an extended warranty. Volkswagens have a 3.5 rating out of 5.0 for reliability, according to RepairPal. The rating measures the average likelihood of emergency repairs, annual repair costs, and the likelihood of a severe repair.
What Does the Volkswagen Extended Warranty Cover?
Volkswagen dealers offer three main extended warranty options through the Volkswagen Drive Easy program. They include:
- Platinum: An exclusive coverage that protects nearly every component of the car. Check the excluded parts in the contract to determine whether the coverage fits your needs. This warranty is only available when purchasing your vehicle.
- Gold: Covers full powertrain, suspension, electrical, fuel, and climate control components. You can buy this warranty shortly after buying your vehicle.
- Powertrain: Covers essential parts that help run the vehicle, such as the transmission, engine, and drive axle. Like the gold warranty, you can purchase this warranty shortly after buying your car.
FAQs
Can I buy an extended warranty from Volkswagen?
Yes. Volkswagen sells Gold, Platinum, and Powertrain extended warranty options.
What can void my Volkswagen warranty?
Your Volkswagen dealership can void your warranty due to improper maintenance, modifications, and wear and tear of a part. In simple terms, your warranty only covers defective components that came with the vehicle after purchase.
Are Volkswagen repairs expensive?
This depends on the type of repair your vehicle needs. Some parts, such as the transmission, engine, and fuel system, generally cost more to repair than others.
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