Is The Volkswagen Extended Warranty A Good Investment?
There are certainly less reliable cars out there than a Volkswagen, but no car is perfect. That's why it's important to understand your warranty coverage and what your options are for a Volkswagen extended warranty.
We'll go over all this here, as well as compare Volkswagen's extended coverage to third-party providers. We've researched a number of the best extended car warranty companies to help drivers get to know what's out there.
To find out how much you would pay for an extended warranty, get a free quote from our top recommended provider Endurance.
In This Review:
Volkswagen Extended Warranty In-Depth Review
Volkswagen's extended warranty is called the Volkswagen Drive Easy program. There are three levels of coverage: Powertrain, Gold, and Platinum. Here are a few things common to all plans:
-
Up to 10 years/150,000 miles for model year 2018 and newer
-
Up to 10 years/120,000 miles for model year 2017 and older
-
Deductible options of $0, $100, and $250, or a $100 disappearing deductible
-
Transferable for $50
-
Full refund within 30 days, prorated refund thereafter
-
Genuine Volkswagen parts
-
Available at Volkswagen dealerships and some other authorized providers
Here's a comparison between the three types of Volkswagen extended warranty plans:
The Powertrain plan covers the basic guts of the car. Next is the Gold plan, which covers a number of items on a few more important systems. Finally, the Platinum plan is an exclusionary contract, so it covers everything unless an item is specifically excluded. It covers almost as much as Volkswagen's factory warranty.
Volkswagen Extended Warranty Perks
The Volkswagen Vehicle Service Protection plan comes with the following added benefits:
-
24/7 roadside assistance including 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
-
Trip interruption of up to $200 per day for five days
-
Rental car coverage up to $35 per day for 10 days
What Volkswagen’s Extended Warranty Doesn’t Cover
The Volkswagen 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
Volkswagen's plans require you to go to Volkswagen dealers or select authorized repair facilities for warranty coverage.
Volkswagen Extended Warranty Cost
Volkswagen doesn't publish prices for its extended warranty online. You'll need to contact a dealer directly to find out what you would pay in your situation. However, a number of drivers have shared quotes on Volkswagen forums.
A couple of drivers received quotes for the same 6-year/100,000-mile Platinum plan, but the prices were vastly different. 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 tend to be all over the board. If you decide to go that route, do some shopping around between dealerships in your area, and see if your preferred dealer will match a lower price from somewhere else.
Why Consider Third-Party Extended Car Warranty Providers
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, third-party plans still have that number beat. For example, Endurance can cover vehicles up to 200,000 miles.
Third-party extended warranty plans also give you much more freedom for coverage options and where to take your vehicle for service. Many companies offer a half-dozen different options, so you can customize coverage. Additionally, third-party contracts will usually let you go to any repair facility certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) for covered repairs.
More coverage options also translates into more price points. Plus, third-party providers tend to be cheaper than manufacturer extended warranties, anyway.
Here's a comparison between Volkswagen's extended warranty and an Endurance warranty:
The Bottom Line: Is Volkswagen’s Extended Warranty Worth It?
A Volkswagen extended warranty can save you from paying for expensive repairs out of pocket as your car ages. You'll have to decide if it's better for you to put money aside in your own account to pay for repairs or to go with an extended warranty. Keep in mind, third-party plans can be cheaper and can come with more freedom than Volkswagen's extended warranty.
We 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, shop around and compare quotes from top-ranked companies.
We recommend getting a free quote for an Endurance auto warranty.
Do You Need An Extended Warranty?
Volkswagen isn't exactly hitting it out of the park as a brand. It has struggled with U.S. sales for a number of years, and that's continuing in 2020 because of the coronavirus. Audi also recently denied VW's request to put one of its engines in the new Golf R.
Nevertheless, Volkswagen is still pushing ahead to release electric vehicles (EV) on the all-new Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) platform. It hopes to sell 1.5 million EVs by 2025.
What does all this have to do with extended warranties? Well, the basic tendency in the auto industry is for cars to get more complex over time. In the old days, a mechanic could just look under the hood or under the car and diagnose a problem in minutes. Today, a diagnosis can cost almost as much as the actual repair.
The VW warranty doesn't last forever. Actually, it just got a lot shorter for 2020 vehicles (more on that later). A Volkswagen extended warranty can give you peace of mind that a wide range of repairs are covered. You can get one through Volkswagen, or you can get a vehicle service contract through a third-party provider, which pretty much does the same thing.
Volkswagen Repair Costs
Overall, Volkswagen repair costs aren't so bad. Don't get us wrong–they're not that affordable either, but you can definitely spend more on cars from a few other brands. According to RepairPal, Volkswagen drivers pay about $676 per year on repair and maintenance costs, which is just a few dollars higher than the industry average.
That being the case, some Volkswagens are known to eat up money more than others, like the Tiguan with its notorious timing chain issues. Depending on the issue, a breakdown might cost you $200 or $1,200, which is an important consideration when looking at a Volkswagen extended warranty.
Here are a few repair costs that Volkswagen owners have experienced in the past, according to RepairPal:
What Volkswagen Coverage Do You Already Have?
Volkswagen has had some ups and downs with its warranty coverage over the past few years. Here's the most recent information for 2020:
-
Bumper-to-bumper coverage for 4 years/50,000 miles
-
Powertrain warranty for 4 years/50,000 miles
-
Roadside assistance for 3 years/36,000 miles
-
Corrosion warranty for 7 years/100,000 miles
-
Varying coverage for the battery, paint, halogen bulbs, adjustments, and more
-
Free scheduled maintenance for 2 years/24,000 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 vehicles.
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.
You might also already have coverage if you bought a certified pre-owned (CPO) Volkswagen. Most 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.
Read our other guides: