As someone who has bought both new and second-hand VW’s (namely a Golf, a T-Roc and a Transporter T6!) an important question that I found myself researching was Do VW Warranties Transfer, and if so how?
From a new VW buyer perspective it is good to know if you will be able to transfer the VW warranty onwards as it will have an impact at point of sale (and may influence the point sale that you choose.
As a second-hand buyer, the benefit is also obvious and it may affect the age of VW that you look to buy. You get that extra piece of mind that you are covered by the VW Warranty for at least a short period whilst in ownership of your used VW.
Introducing the VW Warranty
VW Warranties have been sold under different terms throughout the ranges and over the years so it is worth checking which cover will apply to your vehicle. It also varies by country.
The most common warranty that new VW’s are being sold with (2021 in the UK at least) is an unlimited mile 2 year warranty which then extends to three years so long as you have not exceeded 60,000 in the first two years.
The VW warranty is a pretty good deal as it recognises both high mile users need adequate cover and also rewards the low mile users out there.
VW warranties expire exactly three years from point of vehicle registration (so bear this in mind if you are buying preregistered models).
If you hit 60,000 miles during your third year then this also expires the warrantee.
So do VW Warranties Transfer to new owners?
Yes, is the simple answer. VW Warranties are with the vehicle and not the buyer. You can view the UK terms and conditions directly on the VW website here.
Whilst you don’t specifically have to notify VW of the change of ownership (as the VW Warranty follows the car or van regardless), it is something that is worth doing as a matter of course.
The reason for notifying VW of the new ownership is so that you get recall notifications and other correspondence that is applicable to your vehicle. It also makes it easier to book things like services and repairs.
For the first three years it is worth sticking to the VW dealership services as it will keep your warranty work current and also benefit the vehicle residual value.
Can you extend VW Warranties?
Yes, you can, and it is an option that is quite frequently taken. A great video that explains it can be found here.
In summary however you can chose your level of cover which will allow for a £0, £100 or £250 excess depending on premium you pay.
There is no right or wrong with which level of cover you go for here as warranty costs can be as low as £100 but can scale right up into the thousands depending on the issue.
A good example of expensive warranty repair that can rear its head in year 4 and 5 of ownership on the VW Transporter range is caused by the EGR. You can read more on this here.
Do VW warranties transfer abroad?
Yes! The VW brand is world wide and so long as there is a VW dealership in the country you are either travelling or moving to then your warranty goes with you.
This is a popular question for British VW owners that are either exporting the vehicle to/from Ireland but also for those that spend time in France/Spain and Germany.
Claiming warranty abroad
If the repair is within the first 2 years it is slightly more straight forward than being in the 3rd year (as some countries differ in the 3rd year), so long as your VW has its service schedule booklet then the repair in the first 2 years will be carried out free of charge.
If you are in your 3rd year then you will have to pay the repair bill at the dealership you use and then reclaim the cost from the UK VW dealership that sold the vehicle (so make sure your repair invoice is addressed to them)
I am afraid VW Transporter 2.0tdi van is garbage! the VW customer service is shambolic, in fact Arthur Daly is a saint compared to VW! I bought Transporter brand new in 2017, it has been serviced by regularly by Citygate, in July 2021 ( 3.9 years old ) with 37000 driven, the engine seized because the bolt holding the pressure valve SNAPPED, thereby causing the engine seizure (I had to pay £500 for this diagnose), which means that the bolt used was not of merchantable quality and not fit for the purpose, and the only response from VW customer services, they are not responsible and they cannot cover it under the warranty, because the warranty had expired nine months ago! The attitude was they could not careless because the warranty had expired and that I had to foot the bill of £9500.00 for a new engine! I am sorry but your faith in Transporter van, leaves a lot to be desired! also their managing director of VWG, does not have the decency acknowledge your emails.
I’m sorry to hear of your very negative experience Hussain. Keep on trying to get through to the main VW customer services (don’t go via the dealer if you can avoid as they are just looking after their profit margin), I have heard that occasionally VW them selves will compromise especially when a case such as this comes to light on such a low mile, well serviced example.
Just for extra info, the dealers have to follow a very strict set of warrantee guidelines and submit their claims to VW via an online portal which is semi automated. If the dealer accepted this claim & did the work then the warrantee system would auto reject and leave them with the bill. The guys that submit the warrantee information to VW however do have the ability to contact VW outside of the system where they feel a gesture is plausible however it is time consuming and not all dealers (in every sector!) have the right attitude to go above and beyond for their customer.