HERNDON, Va. — For the 2018 model year, most new Volkswagen vehicles in the United States will come with a six-year, 72,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty, which can be transferred to subsequent owners throughout its duration.
The new warranty doubles the automaker’s current three-year, 36,000-mile warranty. First introduced with the 2018 Atlas and Tiguan, the People First Warranty now covers the 2018 Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf Alltrack, Golf GTI, Golf R, and Golf SportWagen, Jetta, and Passat.
“Volkswagen has always been ‘the people’s car,’ and with the People First Warranty, we’re putting our customers first,” said Hinrich J. Woebcken, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. “By bringing the right cars, at the right time and making the offer very competitive, we believe we’re in the position to grow in the U.S. market.”
The move comes as the automaker recovers since admitting in September 2015 to installing software that allowed its vehicles to cheat emissions tests for six years. The scandal cost the German company nearly $25 billion in fines, penalties, and compensation.
Year to date through August, U.S. light vehicle deliveries for Volkswagen have increased 6% from a year ago to 364,124 units, according to Autodata Corp.
“Volkswagen has begun to grow again in America, and buyers have welcomed the Atlas and Tiguan into their homes,” said Derrick Hatami, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Volkswagen of America. “Expanding this warranty beyond those two models gives our dealers another compelling argument for the rest of our lineup, and we believe it will lead to a reduced overall cost of ownership for buyers.”
The new warranty includes powertrain coverage for engines, transmissions, and the automaker’s optional 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. All the elements of the People First Warranty can be transferred to subsequent owners for up to six years or 72,000 miles from the date it was first sold new.
Hyundai-Kia’s 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty is still the industry longest, but the coverage is reduced to five years or 60,000 miles if transferred. Most mainstream competitors to the Volkswagen brand, such as Honda, Toyota, and Ford, offer a three-year, 36,000-mile basic warranty and a five-year, 60,000-mile powertrain warranty on their cars and SUVs.
