Volkswagen Extended Warranty

Volkswagen’s extended warranty is called the Volkswagen Drive Easy program.

Here are a few highlights of the Volkswagen vehicle service contract:

• Coverage terms: Lasts up to 10 years/150,000 miles for the model year 2018 and newer.
• Deductible: You can choose from a  $0, $100, and $250 deductible or a $100 disappearing deductible.
• Transferability: All plans can be transferred to a new owner for a $50 fee
• Refund: Volkswagen Drive Easy extended warranties are cancelable within 30 days; after that period, drivers will receive a prorated refund after that.
• Covered repairs: Volkswagen’s plans require you to go to VW dealers or select authorized repair facilities for warranty coverage, which is common for a manufacturer service contract.
• Availability: Factory extended warranty coverage is only available at Volkswagen dealerships and other authorized providers.

Volkswagen offers three levels of coverage lasting up to 10 years/150,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Volkswagen’s plans are called, Powertrain, Gold, and Platinum. You can get basic coverage for your vehicle’s powertrain, mid-level coverage for various important systems, or an exclusionary contract similar to a bumper-to-bumper factory warranty.

Since Each plan offers coverage for different components, it is good to know what is covered before deciding which plan best suits your vehicle. You can use the table below to compare each plan’s covered parts.

The Volkswagen extended warranty comes with the following benefits: 

• 24/7 roadside assistance: includes flat tire service, fuel delivery, lockout assistance, and battery jump-starts
• Towing reimbursement: up to $100 to the nearest VW dealership or authorized service provider
• Rental car coverage: up to $35 per day for ten days
• Trip interruption coverage: up to $200 per day for five days

What Does A Volkswagen Extended Warranty Not Cover?

Volkswagen’s extended warranty is fairly comprehensive, but it doesn’t cover everything. Here are a few exclusions:

• Wear and tear
• Damage from lack of maintenance
• Damage from misuse
• Mechanical breakdowns caused by accidents or environmental events
• Wear items
• Scheduled maintenance

Based on our research, Volkswagen customers report paying between $1,800 to $3,500 for extended warranty coverage.

Volkswagen Extended Warranty Price

Prices vary from dealership to dealership, even though the coverage is the same. Several drivers received quotes for the same 6-year/100,000-mile Platinum plan, but the prices differed vastly. One dealer quoted $1,800, and another quoted $2,984. Both of these plans included a $100 deductible.

That’s just one example, but it shows that dealership prices vary. If you decide to go this route, do some shopping around between dealerships in your area, and see if your preferred dealer will match a lower price from somewhere else.

Volkswagen’s extended warranty coverage is more than adequate for most VW owners, especially the Gold and Platinum Plans. One thing that makes the company stand out from its competitors is its generous trip interruption reimbursement. If you experience a mechanical breakdown, this benefit can limit the stress of being far from home without a working vehicle.

On the flip side, Volkswagen does not have a very good track record of transparency and accountability. After the company was embroiled in an emissions scandal, it extended its new vehicle factory warranty for two years between 2018 and 2019. While the longer coverage is good for owners of those model years, it makes us question the company’s extended warranty coverage.

The VW warranty doesn’t last forever, and actually, it’s gotten shorter in recent years (more on that later). A Volkswagen extended warranty can give you peace of mind that a wide range of repairs is covered. Whether it’s worth it depends on your vehicle’s average repair costs, existing coverage, and budget.

What Volkswagen Factory Warranty Coverage Do You Already Have?

The first step in determining if an extended warranty is worth the cost is determining if your vehicle still has factory warranty coverage. Volkswagen has had some ups and downs with its warranty coverage over the past few years, and coverage terms have changed three times since 2009.

Volkswagen Factory Warranty

Most vehicles in 2017 and before received a bumper-to-bumper warranty of 3 years/36,000 miles and a powertrain warranty of 5 years/60,000 miles.

Most vehicles from 2018 and 2019 received 6 years/72,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage. That was the longest coverage on the market at the time. Since this was shortened, Volkswagen added two years of free maintenance for 2020 and newer vehicles.

For 2020 and newer model years, new Volkswagens come with a 4-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.

 Here’s what the factory warranty looks like for 2020 and newer vehicles:

• Bumper-to-bumper: up to 4 years/50,000 miles
• Powertrain: up to 4 years/50,000 miles
• 24/7 Roadside assistance: up to 3 years/36,000 miles
• Corrosion: up to 7 years/100,000 miles
• Free scheduled maintenance: up to 2 years/24,000 miles

In addition to standard factory warranty coverage, Volkswagen also offers varying manufacturer coverage for the battery, paint, halogen bulbs, adjustments, and more

Volkswagen Certified Pre-Owned Warranty

You might also already have coverage if you bought a certified pre-owned (CPO) Volkswagen. Many models from 2017 and earlier received a 2-year/24,000-mile extension on the bumper-to-bumper warranty. For 2018 model-year cars and later, the warranty only extends by 1 year/12,000 miles. This extension begins at the time of sale if the factory warranty has already expired.

Volkswagen Aftermarket Warranty

Volkswagen extended warranty repair coverage lasts up to 150,000 miles, which is actually a long time compared to most other extended manufacturer warranties. However, you can often find longer coverage terms with an independent provider. For example, Endurance can cover vehicles with more than 200,000 miles.

Third-party extended warranty companies also give you more plan options and usually let you go to any repair facility certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE®) for covered repairs. Warranty plans can be cheaper than dealership coverage too.

On the other hand, you aren’t guaranteed the use of genuine VW parts or factory-trained technicians with an independent provider.

Best Extended Warranty For Volkswagen

Endurance offers the best extended warranty coverage for Volkswagen vehicles. The company has six plans compared to Volkswagen’s two, which are often more affordable. Drivers looking for the right mix between coverage and affordability should seriously consider Endurance. 

Here’s a comparison between Volkswagen’s extended warranty and a warranty from Endurance:

Volkswagen’s factory warranty coverage terms have gotten shorter since 2018. However, the company’s extended warranty coverage terms are impressive. Even though Volkswagen offers a 10-year/150,000-mile extended warranty coverage, the plans are more expensive than third-party providers for similar coverage.

Our team of experts researched and compared coverage, price, customer experience, and reputation for a long list of extended car warranty providers. To find the best fit for your Volkswagen, compare free quotes from several top-ranked companies.