Volkswagen Extended Warranty

Volkswagen Drive Easy is the company’s brand name for its extended car warranty program. These optional vehicle service contracts are similar to manufacturer’s warranties but last far beyond the protection that comes with new cars. You’ll receive protection for your Volkswagen against unexpected repair costs caused by faulty workmanship or defective parts.

Volkswagen Extended Warranty Terms and Conditions

As with most contracts, the Volkswagen extended warranty comes with a few terms and conditions worth noting. Below are some important details about Volkswagen coverage:

• Availability: Volkswagen extended coverage is available for up to 10 years or 150,000 miles depending on your car’s model year.
• Benefits: Volkswagen’s Drive Easy warranties include 24/7 roadside assistance, trip interruption coverage and rental car reimbursement.
• Cancellation: You can cancel the Volkswagen extended warranty at any point, though there’s a $50 fee if you’ve carried coverage for more than 30 days.
• Exclusions: Drive Easy doesn’t cover wear and tear components, regular maintenance services or unauthorized car modifications.
• Maintenance: To keep extended coverage, you must perform regularly scheduled maintenance as outlined in your car’s owner’s manual.
• Repairs: Your vehicle service protection plan won’t cover repairs unless you take the car to a Volkswagen dealership or another authorized repair facility.
• Transferability: If you sell your Volkswagen vehicle, you can transfer coverage to private parties for a $50 fee.

The Volkswagen extended warranty will pay to repair or replace damaged car parts after mechanical breakdowns for up to 10 years or 150,000 miles. Remember that vehicle service contracts are not meant to cover damages caused by car accidents, severe weather and instances of theft or vandalism.

Volkswagen Extended Warranty Plans

Volkswagen offers three different extended warranty plans: Platinum, Gold and Powertrain. Below are a few details about each one:

What Does the Volkswagen Extended Warranty Cover?

Volkswagen extended warranties can cover everything in your vehicle from its engine and transmission to SMS and audio features. Given the varying levels of coverage, it’s best to familiarize yourself with what is and isn’t covered by each option.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s covered by each of Volkswagen’s extended warranties:

Volkswagen Roadside Assistance and Added Benefits

Volkswagen vehicle protection plans come with many perks, including the following:

• 24-hour roadside assistance: Volkswagen roadside assistance provides fuel deliveries, lockout services, battery jump-starts and flat-tire help up to $100 per occurrence.
• Rental car reimbursement: This perk gives owners up to $35 per day for a maximum of 10 days if they need to rent a vehicle while theirs is in the shop for covered repairs.
• Towing reimbursement: Volkswagen reimburses drivers up to $100 for towing to the nearest authorized dealership or service center.
• Trip interruption coverage: If you need to stay overnight while your car gets repaired, you’ll be paid up to $200 per day for up to five days. This benefit isn’t available to residents of California or New York, however.

Volkswagen Extended Warranty Exclusions

There are a few standard exclusions to the Volkswagen Drive Easy extended warranty. Because of this, it’s best to refer to your vehicle service agreement or to ask your Volkswagen dealer for details about exclusions from the extended auto warranty.

The major VW warranty exclusions are similar to those across all extended coverage plans. They include the following:

• Routine maintenance services like tire rotations and oil changes
• Wear and tear parts such as brake pads and windshield wiper blades
• Mechanical breakdowns caused by lack of proper maintenance, theft, vandalism, weather hazards or collisions
• Damages caused by improper vehicle modifications
• Specific components such as bumpers, tires and upholstery

Additional Volkswagen Extended Warranty Plans

Volkswagen offers extended coverage options for everything from tires and wheels to dents and windshield damages. Below, our review team will provide coverage details and term lengths for each additional Volkswagen extended coverage choice.

Volkswagen Care Scheduled Maintenance Plan

Volkswagen Care is a maintenance plan allowing drivers to pay in advance for their vehicle’s specific service intervals. The automaker offers various coverage terms with eligibility that changes based on the car’s model year.

Here’s a look at the coverage provided by Volkswagen’s maintenance plans:

Tire and Wheel Protection

Volkswagen offers a warranty that covers up to seven years of tire and wheel repairs or replacements if they’re damaged due to potholes, glass, metal, nails or other debris. Here’s what else you should know about Volkswagen’s warranty:

• Covers tire and wheel repairs or replacements along with labor, fees and taxes
• Transferable to private parties for a $50 fee
• You may be charged a $50 deductible per claim, depending on the state
• Can be canceled after a $50 fee with a prorated refund
• No-deductible cosmetic coverage is available as an add-on
• Coverage doesn’t include everyday wear and tear, dry rot or damages caused by certain road conditions

Key Protection

Volkswagen’s Key Protection program goes beyond that of other automakers, with coverage that includes key replacement and locksmith services for your home. This plan also offers a reimbursement of up to $800 to replace lost, damaged or stolen car keys.

If you don’t have a key to unlock your vehicle, this coverage plan provides towing services to the nearest dealership for a $100 fee. Volkswagen’s key warranty stands out largely due to its home locksmith and key replacement services, however.

Multi-Coverage Protection

This plan bundles together coverage for your Volkswagen’s tires, windshield, body and keys. While all of these options can be purchased separately, you’ll save money by buying them together for one lower upfront or monthly payment.

Theft Protection

Theft Protection provides a benefit of up to $5,000 if a covered vehicle is declared a total loss. This coverage plan lasts for up to six years but has a few important eligibility requirements. Antitheft decals must be displayed on the windows and the car must have traceable identification codes to identify owners of recovered vehicles.

Term Protection

Volkswagen Term Protection picks up where the company’s extended warranties stop. It takes care of wear and tear items like brake pads, batteries and windshield wiper blades for up to six years or 72,000 miles.

While this plan is comprehensive, it excludes electric vehicle batteries, carbon and ceramic brakes and mechanical breakdowns covered by an existing warranty or a pre-existing condition.

Guaranteed Asset Protection

Volkswagen’s gap insurance plan waives some or all of the outstanding balance owed to a creditor if your car is found to be a total loss after an accident, natural disaster or theft. The automaker offers two coverage plans: Gap and Gap Plus. The main difference is that Gap Plus also includes a $1,000 credit for buying a new Volkswagen at the dealership.

We found that the cost of a Volkswagen extended warranty ranges from $1,100 to $5,400, averaging $2,300. The price of your plan will vary based on the car and chosen coverage type.

Volkswagen’s vehicle protection plans can have either a $0, $100 or $250 deductible. If repairs are done at the dealership that sold your vehicle to you, the $100 deductible will be waived.

Below is a breakdown of the average cost for Volkswagen’s Powertrain, Gold and Platinum extended auto warranties:

Volkswagen Extended Warranty Prices

We reached out to VW dealerships across the Southeastern U.S. to get an idea of how much the automaker’s extended warranties cost. Our team received the following quotes for various Volkswagen models:

Volkswagen Extended Warranty Quotes

Volkswagen doesn’t make extended warranty cost information public, so you’ll need to contact your local Volkswagen dealer to get free quotes. We recommend comparing the carmaker’s instant quotes with those from third-party warranty providers to help you during negotiations.

Volkswagen Extended Warranty Cost Factors

Extended car warranty costs can vary significantly based on factors such as your location, vehicle age, mileage and model. Below are the main elements that could affect pricing:

• Vehicle age: Older and used cars are prone to mechanical breakdowns, increasing the cost of extended warranty coverage.
• Mileage: Cars with high mileage experience issues more often than vehicles with lower mileage, increasing the warranty’s price.
• Manufacturer: Drivers of less reliable brands can expect to pay more for a warranty because costly repairs are likelier on cars with spotty dependability scores.
• Model: Some car models have greater issues than others, making them more expensive to protect with extended coverage.
• Coverage level: Higher coverage levels are pricier than plans that protect fewer parts.
• Deductible: Higher deductibles lower the total cost of an extended warranty, but you’ll pay more out of pocket for covered repairs.
• State regulations: Car warranty laws vary by state and can influence the cost of extended warranties, making certain spots more expensive than others.

Deciding if you need a Volkswagen extended warranty comes down to three factors: your car’s reliability, expected repair bills and whether you still have factory coverage. While it’s impossible to predict exact repair costs, you can look at the probability of needing fixes and see what they’d cost you out of pocket.

Volkswagen Reliability

The first step in figuring out whether you need an extended warranty is considering the reliability of Volkswagen models. According to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study℠, Volkswagen placed 24th of 32 carmakers for reliability. Owners reported an average of 216 issues per 100 vehicles, far higher than the industry average of 186 per 100.

The repair cost estimate site RepairPal gives Volkswagen a more positive rating of 3.5 out of 5.0. This placed the automaker in 12th place for reliability out of 32 automakers.

Volkswagen Repair Costs

After considering reliability, the next factor to consider is your Volkswagen’s expected repair costs. According to RepairPal, Volkswagen owners pay an average of $676 annually for maintenance and repairs, slightly above the $652 average across all automotive brands.

Here are a few common Volkswagen repairs with cost estimates from RepairPal:

Our review team reached out to Volkswagen for comment on its reliability ratings along with its maintenance and repair costs. We received the following response:

“We use Vincentric for our cost of ownership (COO) data. We have data from Vincentric that actually places us as the lowest five-year COO for midsize SUVs, for instance, with the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport.”

Is My Volkswagen Under Warranty?

If your Volkswagen is still covered by its new vehicle or a certified pre-owned (CPO) warranty, you won’t need to pay for the repairs listed above. Volkswagen’s factory warranty has changed three times since 2017, making it difficult to understand your exact coverage terms. Below, we’ll break down the warranty terms for each Volkswagen to reveal if it’s time to extend coverage.

Volkswagen Factory Warranty

The Volkswagen manufacturer’s warranty has shifted a bit over the years. Here are the coverage lengths based on your car’s model year:

• 2017 and older: 3 years/36,000 miles
• 2018 and 2019: 6 years/72,000 miles
• 2020 and newer: 4 years/50,000 miles

Volkswagen also offers two years of complimentary maintenance on all model years from 2020 forward.

Here’s a breakdown of the Volkswagen factory warranty for model years 2020 to present:

• Bumper-to-bumper-coverage: 4 years/50,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles
• VW Carefree Maintenance: 2 years/20,000 miles
• Corrosion and perforation: 7 years/100,000 miles
• Electric battery: 3 years/36,000 miles
• Federal emissions warranty: Up to 8 years/80,000 miles
• 24-hour roadside assistance: 3 years/36,000 miles

Volkswagen CPO Warranty

If you bought a certified pre-owned (CPO) Volkswagen, your vehicle may still have warranty coverage. The Volkswagen CPO warranty extended the factory warranty for 2018 and 2019 cars by one year or 12,000 miles. Model years from 2020 forward instead receive two years or 24,000 miles of Volkswagen CPO coverage.

Volkswagen Warranty Check

If you’re unsure of whether the manufacturer’s warranty still covers your Volkswagen, contact the automaker directly or the local dealership you bought from. You’ll need your vehicle identification number (VIN) when you call. The VIN can be found below the front windshield in your car’s cabin and on the drivers’ side door jamb.

The Volkswagen extended protection plan offers a decent amount of coverage for most owners. The company’s coverage options last for a high number of years and miles and take care of most major components.

On the other hand, Volkswagen only offers three plans which can’t be customized. Owners also must buy coverage before their new vehicle limited warranty runs out, adding hassle to the process that could be avoided by getting a third-party option.

Is the Volkswagen Extended Warranty Worth It?

Given Volkswagen’s relatively poor reliability ratings and above-average repair and maintenance costs, an extended warranty could save you money. Volkswagen models are more likely to have mechanical breakdowns than the average vehicle, so extended coverage could give some peace of mind.

Before buying coverage from Volkswagen itself, we suggest that you consider third-party options. Often, owners report getting higher-quality coverage, lower prices and far greater flexibility by purchasing from independent warranty providers.

During our 2023 extended warranty study, our review team found that Endurance has exceptional extended warranties and earns relatively strong reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The company offers six plans with coverage that lasts up to 200,000 miles, well beyond Volkswagen’s extended auto warranty.

As you shop around, we’d also recommend taking a look at coverage plans from CarShield and Carchex. Below are our guides to these three reputable providers:

• Endurance reviews
• CarShield reviews
• Carchex reviews

Volkswagen Aftermarket Warranty: Pros and Cons

Reputable extended warranty companies offer a multitude of options and benefits that factory extended warranties won’t typically give you. For example, third-party auto warranty plans often cover eligible repairs at any licensed repair shop of your choosing. This could be a major advantage if you have a trusted mechanic who doesn’t work for Volkswagen.

While Volkswagen dealerships offer three coverage options, many of the best car warranty companies have four to six. Several independent providers also sell high-mileage warranties that last even longer than the 10-year/150,000-mile extended warranty sold by Volkswagen. Third-party providers generally have lower prices for vehicle service contracts as well.

Volkswagen-branded plans have some advantages over independent warranty providers, though. Under the Volkswagen extended warranty, covered repairs will be done by factory-trained technicians with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts. For some owners, this could be worth the extra cost and hassle of an automaker plan.

Volkswagen offers adequate extended coverage for most drivers, but those with high-mileage vehicles or owners who need customizable coverage may be better off looking elsewhere.

Third-party extended car warranty companies offer more coverage options and cheaper prices on average than Volkswagen. We recommend getting at least three instant quotes before deciding which coverage provider is best for your needs.

Below are some frequently asked questions about the Volkswagen extended warranty:

Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best extended car warranty companies. We collected data on dozens of auto warranty providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.

Here are the factors our ratings take into account:

• Reputation: Our research team considers availability, ratings from industry experts and years in business when conferring this score.
• Coverage: Companies that offer a variety of choices for warranty coverage, long contract terms and added benefits are more likely to meet consumer needs.
• Cost: Auto warranty companies with affordable rates and multiple deductibles scored highest in this category.
• Transparency: This score is based on contract transparency and the availability of a money-back guarantee.
• Customer experience: Based on customer satisfaction ratings and our extensive shopper analysis, we consider the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each warranty company’s customer service team.

Our credentials:

• 500+ hours researched
• 50 companies reviewed
• 2,000+ consumers surveyed

*Data accurate at time of publication.