Volkswagen announced today a new Goodwill Package for owners of the affected 2.0L TDI engine. As we reported over the weekend, the package includes two $500 gift cards - a Visa and Volkswagen Dealer card - along with three-years of roadside assistance.

 

To get your hands on this package is quite the challenge. First you have to visit VWDieselInfo.com and put in your VIN, along with vehicle information. From there, Volkswagen will mail out the cards to you. But you cannot use those cards yet. You need to take them to a Volkswagen dealer who will activate the cards.

 

Now Volkswagen makes it clear that the Touareg equipped with the 3.0L TDI isn't eligible for this program.

 

Source: Volkswagen

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The activation step is likely so that people can't walk around collecting VINs off of cars in parking lots and claiming the rebate card.

A pretty good deal, you can use the $1,000 total in life cards on maintenance at the VW dealer.  Gives the customer a free year or two of service, keeps the dealership service bays busy.  So that is a win-win.    Give VW a chance to kiss ass of all these customers so they don't flee to another brand, even though they probably will.

A pretty good deal, you can use the $1,000 total in life cards on maintenance at the VW dealer.  Gives the customer a free year or two of service, keeps the dealership service bays busy.  So that is a win-win.    Give VW a chance to kiss ass of all these customers so they don't flee to another brand, even though they probably will.

 

The VW service experience at dealerships is notoriously bad.   Getting disgruntled VW customers to come into the service center more often may only worsen the image crisis. 

Speaking of VW, I was behind a blue Jetta tonight that had a Hybrid badge instead of the usual TDI badge...didn't realize they had a Hybrid.

Well then they'll get crap service, but it will be free with the gift card.  So the quality will match what they paid.

Speaking of VW, I was behind a blue Jetta tonight that had a Hybrid badge instead of the usual TDI badge...didn't realize they had a Hybrid.

They do, I never have seen on on the road.  But I think it gets over 40 mpg.  They have had it a few years, but they seem to only advertise the TDI.

Speaking of VW, I was behind a blue Jetta tonight that had a Hybrid badge instead of the usual TDI badge...didn't realize they had a Hybrid.

 

You can see them from the front via the blanked out grille rather than the horizontal slats (regular gasser or TDI) or the egg crate (GLI)

 

That's the color of the one I saw today..

VW needs to step up this GoodWill Program to all their customers. Right now sales are in hell, people negatively speak of VW and the diesels will use more fuel once they get reprogrammed. I think they need to double this program.