Gasgoo.com (Shanghai May 29) - Volkswagen has found a way to create more controversy in China with its DSG gearboxes. In an officially statement released last week, VW officially apologized to Chinese consumers and announced that it will extend warranty coverage for DSG-equipped VWs and Skodas to ten years and 160,000 km. According to an official statement by VW China, owners whose vehicles' original warranties have expired have the option to service their vehicles at any dealership they desire and still be covered by the extended warranty. However, a report appearing on auto.sina.com.cn reveals that certain dealerships have prevented owners from going to other shops with the threat of not offering coverage.
Different FAW-VW, Shanghai VW and VW China dealers have made varying statements regarding the matter. However, the majority of dealerships contacted by auto.sina.com.cn claimed that owners must exclusively service their vehicles at their outlets in order to enjoy the extended coverage. "[Owners] must adhere to manufacturer demands at [our] dealership for servicing," an employee at a Lentuo-operated FAW-VW 4S dealership in Beijing was quoted as saying, adding that missing a single appointment would not be permitted. The employee also said that the outlet's manager had received such instructions from a recent regional dealer summit. The summit was reportedly took place after VW China announced that the extended warranty covered charges for servicing done by unaffiliated dealerships. Staff from VW China's aftermarket service center in Beijing responded similarly when asked about the matter.
Meanwhile, several other outlets, including several Shanghai VW dealerships, had received no notification regarding the extended plan. All FAW-VW Audi dealers contacted had also received no such notice. Only Shanghai VW Skoda dealers seemed to be aware of the non-exclusivity clause of the warranty. "Regardless of whether [the owner] goes to 4S dealership or a repair center… [they] can enjoy the extended warranty," aftermarket service staff from Beijing's Yechuan Skoda dealership stated.
Furthermore, FAW-VW Audi dealers confirmed that the Audi A1, A3 and TT are all covered by the new warranty.
Source:gasgoo.com