VW’s Extended Warranty Provides Some Peace of Mind

Uproar.car will cover your car for less, protecting you against expensive repairs from bumper to bumper. With a focus on customer care and no middleman to complicate repairs and claims, you’ll get easy coverage you can actually use. The plan even pays for itself — Uproar.car’s warranty coverage gives you exclusive access to discounts, auto concierge service, and a 100 percent online claims process. And with clear, upfront price quotes, you’ll know exactly what to expect when it comes to the cost. It should also be noted, however, that this coverage does not extend to some luxury vehicles, cars over 120,000 miles, and cars more than 10 years old.

The Volkswagen extended warranty is designed to give you even more protection than the company’s standard warranty, offering a number of services and coverage options. In general, this additional protection covers many routine repair services and can help you save money in the long run.

This vehicle service contract can be added on at any point before your VW factory warranty expires. You could technically purchase this extended warranty option on a new Volkswagen vehicle to help pay for maintenance and routine part replacement costs. However, the real benefits come into play once the original warranty is already expired. As a result, it tends to make more sense to add to the extended warranty at a later point.

VW’s available vehicle service contracts include Vehicle Service Protection, Term Protection, Certified Pre-Owned Service Protection, Lease-End Protection, Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP), and Multi-Coverage Protection.

VW offers three tiers of component coverage, each of which is designed to reduce or eliminate costs on VW-original part repairs and replacements. You can choose from the Powertrain, Gold, and Platinum tiers.

Components covered under the Powertrain plan include the engine, transmission, drive axle, and any hybrid or electric vehicle components. If you opt for the Gold plan, you get the Powertrain coverage plus AC, shocks, front and rear suspension, fuel system, and electrical system coverage. Finally, the Platinum level is as comprehensive as it can get, adding on the steering system, brakes, CV boots, navigation, audio, and other high-tech components.

Many repairs services are covered under these plans. Best of all is the feature that you pay nothing other than the deductible you selected for any of the covered services. That translates to lots of money saved should your vehicle ever need extensive repairs.

There are a few coverage exclusions, including mechanical problems or breakdowns already covered by the manufacturer’s warranty; problems or breakdowns caused by road accidents, vandalism, or weather; and any problems or breakdowns related to a lack of maintenance or pre-existing conditions. Typically, these are the kinds of vehicle problems covered by your auto insurance provider.

In addition to the routine and emergency repairs covered, the VW vehicle service protection plan includes a number of other perks. Service for your VW is available at all participating VW dealers as well as a number of other authorized service providers. Both options guarantee you receive genuine VW parts and service for your vehicle.

You’ll also get 24-hour roadside assistance with battery service, flat tire assistance, fuel or fluid delivery, and lock-out assistance. Any of these services are covered at up to $100 per occurrence. Towing and rental car reimbursement are also included, as well as trip interruption coverage of up to $1,000.

Another great perk is that you get to choose your deductible, with the following options available: $0, $100 or $100 disappearing (a waived deductible if repairs are done at the selling dealership), or $250 per visit. It’s also possible to transfer your contract to a private party if you end up selling your VW, and you can cancel the plan at any time for a $50 fee.

The appeal of a vehicle service protection plan is the money you will save over the lifetime of your vehicle and the fact that you can take your car to any VW certified provider and get VW OEM parts. The extended warranty runs concurrently with VW’s factory protection, which gives you even more peace of mind, knowing that most (if not all) of your vehicle’s components are covered.

The real advantages of VW’s extended warranty show up in the additional perks. When combined with the Platinum plan, your entire car is protected, on and off the road. The 24/7 roadside assistance and towing services can be real lifesavers when you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere and have places to go. Likewise, the rental car reimbursement benefit is another cost saver if and when there’s ever a repair necessary on your vehicle.

We also like that you can choose a low (or even no!) deductible, which makes the down-the-road costs very predictable. Never again do you have to face the awful surprise of a mechanic’s bill; VW has you covered.

As a final consideration, we really like that you can transfer or even cancel your plan for a very nominal fee—a convenience feature that not a lot of other providers can boast. So, if you’re ever inclined to sell your car, you can transfer the plan to a private party. If you decide that the VW extended warranty isn’t right for you and your vehicle, you can cancel the plan after 30 days.

The main drawbacks of the VW extended warranty come in the form of VW-centric requirements that the warranty strictly enforces. You’re forced to stick to VW-approved parts and service providers, which limits what you can do with your vehicle in terms of adding on non-standard accessories and where you can take it for service. 

We also didn’t like the long list of coverage exclusions. For instance, mechanical breakdowns caused by a lack of maintenance or pre-existing conditions (before the extended warranty was purchased) are excluded from warranty coverage, as are breakdowns caused by weather-related conditions. 

The service contract covers a wide variety of additional areas, including towing, roadside assistance, trip interruption coverage, and rental car reimbursement. However, these benefits are not quite as beneficial as they seem at first glance. Take, for example, the roadside assistance service. The service contract itself only covers up to $100 in these instances, per occurrence, leaving you with the rest of the bill.

Finally, although you’re not limited to taking your car to the dealership you bought it at for services, you are limited to VW dealers in general. That can be a bit of a pain if you don’t happen to live close to one.

Some of the most common issues and repair costs with VW vehicles:

A. As always, the answer depends on your vehicle. If it’s older or requires frequent repairs, having an extended warranty can save you money in the long run.

A. Common bumper-to-bumper and powertrain issues are covered by each of the three tiers. That being said, the basic coverage tier doesn’t include components such as the AC, the suspension system, or any electrical components.

A. There are a number of third-party providers that offer vehicle service contracts for VWs. All providers vary in the options available, so take your time and shop around if this is the route for you.

A. Yes. One of the great things about VW’s vehicle service contracts is that they can be added to your vehicle at any point before the factory warranty expires.

Many car owners believe that an extended warranty isn’t worth the extra cost. For basic extensions that only cover manufacturing defects, this attitude makes sense. However, in the case of VW’s vehicle service protection plan, you’ll see that the upfront expense is worth it down the line. You’ll save both money and headaches, knowing that most everything is covered.

If you’re someone that’s on the road more often than not (and you’re not really the type to want to modify your car), then an extended warranty can make sense. Ultimately, whether or not the warranty is worth it depends on whether or not you can make use of the services provided.

Here are a few more resources you can use:

Uproar.car will cover your car for less, protecting you against expensive repairs from bumper to bumper. With a focus on customer care and no middleman to complicate repairs and claims, you’ll get easy coverage you can actually use. The plan even pays for itself — Uproar.car’s warranty coverage gives you exclusive access to discounts, auto concierge service, and a 100 percent online claims process. And with clear, upfront price quotes, you’ll know exactly what to expect when it comes to the cost. It should also be noted, however, that this coverage does not extend to some luxury vehicles, cars over 120,000 miles, and cars more than 10 years old.