I'm starting to unwind this a bit. It appears VW has a orchestrated effort to slow roll claims. Apparently a large number of claims are abandoned as owners don't want to wait a rear to trade-in or sell the cars -- VW seems to be leveraging that to reduce warranty costs.
Here's what they do:
1) Make it tough for dealers -- dealers don't want to do these claims. If you call most dealers about a corrosion claim, you will get "hold on, I'll get you to our corrosion specialist", then you get voice mail and no return call. If you persist, they will employ tactics to keep you from starting a claim with them. The most common thing they say is VW Canada inspections are booked out 6 months, followed by claims processing and repair backlog that could take a 8 months to a more than a year to complete. VW Canada denied they were the problem, that said dealers can submit claims anytime on their own. Town and Country, Pfaff, Richmond Hill and Thornhill all used this tactic.
2) VW Canada takes 2 weeks to 4 months to evaluate claims. Their first response is often 'environmental damage' or failure of the owner to bring the vehicle in for corrosion repair in a timely manner. They will deny or try a shared cost offer.
I did find a dealer that said "
come on in! no appointment, the claim will be submitted same day." The car is going in Monday, I'll post followups on this.
I also spoke with the APA, they confirmed VW is playing games, in fact they offer tips on how to deal with VW on their website.
This is my last VW/Audi product. I've owned 2 Beetles, a Rabbit, Golf, Quattro, A4, Turbo Beetle, and a Jetta.
----- From the APA Automobile Protection Association | Recalls & Tech Tips - Template
How to make the VW-Audi corrosion warranty work for you
Volkswagen and Audi offer an industry-leading corrosion warranty of 12 years; in 2018 VW dropped its coverage to seven years, which is still longer than average. (Audi remains at 12 years)
However VW and Audi make it very difficult to collect on rust claims for vehicles over seven years old. Owners report that after dealers reject the initial claim, they can get sucked into a Volkswagen vortex. The claim must be documented. Then an appointment booked at the dealership to coincide with the visit of a VW or Audi representative which could take weeks or a couple of months. That person will examine the panels on the vehicle individually and will likely reject outright repairs to some panels for a variety of reasons, and propose to share the cost of repairing some others with the consumer. It may take a few weeks after the visit for an offer. If you accept the offer, an appointment made with the VW or Audi approved repair facility can be months away. The entire process from start to finish can take more than a year. In some cases reported to the APA, the vehicle owner had sold their vehicle in the interim.
APA tips:
- Inspect your Jetta or Golf periodically; vulnerable areas include the wheel surrounds, lower body panels, the corners of the windshield and the trunk in the area of the license plate.
- Document the problem. Take photos and write VW Canada and your dealer so that you are on record. Some claims are rejected because the company claims the owner acted too slowly. VW rejects claims for rusting around the windshield if it has ever been replaced, blaming the damage on the installer, whether they caused any or not.
- See an independent body shop for an appraisal. An impartial second opinion can help you determine whether the rust is indeed coming from inside the body. You'll also have an estimate of the value of the repairs -- that's important if VW asks you to pay for some of the repair costs, as it will help determine if their estimate is reasonable or inflated.
- If you want to fix the car and VW or Audi won't pay, consider Small Claims Court. The APA suggests you have the repairs documented (photos again) and completed before the date of your hearing. That way you'll be claiming for a paid-up invoice and can count on a written report or the testimony of an expert who worked on the vehicle. Write VW or Audi and your dealer to put them on notice before authorizing the work.
- Be prepared for some intimidating phone calls before the Court date. One consumer reported that was told he had no case on a first call, and the company was prepared to let him drop the claim without costs as a courtesy. He refused. On the second call he received a partial offer, which he refused. On the third, an almost complete offer, which he accepted.
