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Warranty Administration | Warranty Claims

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operation. All repairs must be substantiated with punch times, technician notes, and any other
supporting documentation necessary to verify that the technician performed the claimed repairs at the
time punched.
Positions 7 and 8 of a labor operation make the following distinction:
 00-49: The labor operation is for a main item, which is completed and carried out alone.
 50-96: Indicates a combined item, which can only be carried out with the main item(s) that goes
with it.
CLAIM COMMENTS
Completed claim comments supply additional information to help substantiate and process claims.
Claim comments fields should contain as much of the following information as possible:
 A brief and accurate description of customer concern (such as "MIL on", or "rough idle")
 Why the part was replaced/defect found (such as "solenoid does not click") or what part was
repaired (such as "repaired hose at N112 solenoid: cracked under clamp")
 A brief and accurate description of diagnosis time, A-time, or any repairs other than replacement
of a part
 Detailed emissions related warranty data is imperative in order for Volkswagen to meet expanding
regulations to government agencies, such as U.S. EPA and CARB
 Technical Bulletin number followed for repair
 Technician Helpline case number
 All relevant fault codes that pertain to the claim Service Number (such as "DTC P1200").
 For wear items covered by the NVLW, indicate the dimensions of the worn part in relation to the
specification. See 1.2.1.1 Wear and Tear Covered Components - NVLW.
 IMPORTANT: For claims with parts requested the claim "comments" must provide adequate
supporting information in the "COMMENTS" field of the SAGA claim at the time of claim
entry/submission. Any blank or inadequate "comments" will result in a delay in the review of the
claim. Do not use vague terminology such as "inop", "broken", or "performed diag".

2.2.1

TIME LIMITS TO FILE A CLAIM
Properly completed repair orders for justified warranty, campaign or No Charge Scheduled
Maintenance services must be transmitted no later than 30 days from the date of repair (last punched
repair date).
Claims received after one year from the date of repair cannot be processed. Some states may not
allow this limitation. Check state law for further information.

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PERSONNEL AUTHORIZED TO CODE/ENTER WARRANTY CLAIMS
Authorized dealers must restrict access to repair orders to prevent unauthorized personnel from
adding repairs or labor operations to the repair order and/or warranty claim.
Only certified Warranty Administrators, Service Consultants, and Shop Foremen or Dispatchers are
approved to enter labor operations to warranty claims. If the employee's formal job description does
not list the responsibility of assigning technician repair times to the repair order and/or warranty claims,
then such repair times claimed will be charged back.

2.3

REPAIR ORDER DOCUMENTATION
Repair order documentation is the basis to verify the repair work performed under warranty and must
be correct and complete.

2.3.1

REQUIRED INFORMATION ON REPAIR ORDER
ACCURATE CUSTOMER AND VEHICLE DATA
Customer and vehicle data listed on a manual or electronic repair order (ERO) must be accurate. The
repair order must show the correct customer data including the customer's name, address, telephone
number, and signature authorizing the repair. The repair order must also record correct vehicle data
including the actual "in" and "out" dates and mileage of repair. In case of a road test the repair order
must clearly show the vehicle mileage "before" and "after" the road test.
SERVICE CONSULTANT VERIFICATION OF CUSTOMER CONCERN
Service Consultants must verify that a customer concern is about an actual failure by questioning the
customer thoroughly, inspecting the vehicle, and asking for a demonstration of the condition.
CUSTOMER SIGNATURE
The customer signature must appear on all repair order copies acknowledging the work to be
performed on his/her vehicle. If it is not possible to obtain the customer signature, the Service
Consultant must document the reason the customer signature is missing and sign (legible full
signature) the repair order.
CUSTOMER NOTES AND NIGHT DROP ENVELOPES
Signed night drop envelopes and separate customer notes must be cross-referenced and attached to
the working repair order.
TECHNICIAN NOTES
Technician notes must include but are not limited to, customer complaint, cause of the problem, and
details for the correction of the customer complaint. They must be clearly written by the technician on

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the back of the repair order hard copy (next to the tear-off time flag that shows the "on" and "off" punch
times for the repair). For ERO dealers, the technician notes are to be entered on the ERO next to the
SRT for the repair.
DOCUMENTATION NOTED ON THE REPAIR ORDER
Documentation to be noted on the repair order includes but is not limited to measurements or test
procedures. Brake replacement, (pads/shoes and rotors/drums) if covered by warranty, (including
warping) must include wear specifications. If a vehicle was towed to the dealership, note on the repair
order (next to the appropriate customer concern) that the vehicle was towed, and also identify the part
which caused the vehicle to be towed.
Information such as pressure test readings or any other information that will justify a warranty repair
must be clearly written on the repair order hard copy by the technician. For ERO dealers, the
technician must enter the specification on the ERO for that repair. The ERO system used must enable
VWoA to identify the technician who accessed the system and entered the specific notes.
 Note: Brake wear and other specifications can be found in the repair manual on ElsaPro.
 A new claim line is to be added to the repair order for a loaner vehicle.
DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENT FOR VOLKSWAGEN SHUTTLE SERVICE, PICK-UP AND DELIVERY SERVICE OR
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
 A new claim line is to be added to the repair order describing the alternate transportation received
by the customer.
−

The following statements are a suggestion of what should appear on the repair order:
− "Customer received VW shuttle service: One-way ____ Round-trip ____"
− "Customer vehicle was: Picked-Up ____ Delivered ____"

"Customer received public transportation compensation: One-way $ ____ Round-trip
$ ____"
 The customer must sign the repair order acknowledging that they received an alternate
−

transportation service.
− If the alternate transportation service is not documented on the repair order, the customer
must sign the Volkswagen Alternate Transportation Form acknowledging that they
−

received an alternate transportation service.
The form is located in WISE > Resource Center > Forms > Alternate Transportation.

PARTS MATERIAL ISSUE
The parts material issue must show the quantity, part number, and part description for every part used
for a warranty repair. Parts used from the wiring harness repair kit, VAG 1978, must be listed by part
number on the repair order’s parts material issue to substantiate the payment for wiring repairs
claimed under warranty.
SUPPORT FOR A-TIME AND DIAGNOSIS TIME
Volkswagen Warranty must be able to reconstruct why A-time/diagnosis time has been claimed. Any
A-time/diagnosis time claimed must be fair, realistic, and have a technically sound explanation. The

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technician must provide written detail of the diagnosis procedures used on the back of the repair order
hard copy.
A-time/diagnosis time must also be supported by the technician's punch time. A-time and diagnosis
time require a separate "on" and "off" punch time unless used in combination with a SRT operation, in
which case punch "on" when the repair is started and "off" when completed. The technician may also
punch individually for A-time and/or diagnosis time if used in combination with a SRT operation in
order to preserve the technician's efficiency on the SRT operation.
When claiming a road test, the repair order must clearly show the vehicle mileage "before" and "after"
the road test.
The time while being on hold with the Technician Helpline is not reimbursable. The Technician
Helpline recommendations, date of contact and case number must appear on the repair order. The
Technician Helpline case number must be entered in the claim comments. All supporting printouts and
other documentation such as Volkswagen-approved diagnostic tool printouts must be attached to the
repair order hard copy and be available for review.
CROSS-REFERENCING INFORMATION
All supporting documentation for a warranty repair must be cross-referenced to the original repair
order, for example, record the repair order number(s) and VIN on the supporting documentation.

2.3.2

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION WITH REPAIR ORDER
Also see section 3.51 Service Xpress (VW Brand Approved).
ALL CHECKLISTS, WORKSHEETS, AND TEST PRINTOUTS
Documentation to be attached to the repair order includes but is not limited to all "before" and "after"
adjustments or specifications, i.e. "before" and "after" wheel alignment measurements, a copy of the
PDI checklist if the PDI was not performed using the ePDI application, all diagnostic worksheets, test
sheets, or printouts such as the Infotainment Worksheet, Transmission Repair vs. Replacement
Worksheet, Brake Disc Measurement Form, Midtronics® Battery Tester printout, Robinair
ROB134APF Air Conditioning Service Unit printout, sublet invoices, loaner agreements, alternate
transportation form if the alternate transportation service is not documented on the repair order, and
Volkswagen-approved diagnostic tools' data printouts.
 Note: Volkswagen-approved diagnostic tools' data printouts are required for No Charge
Scheduled Maintenance claims if the maintenance service mandated the use of a Volkswagenapproved diagnostic tool.
SERVICE MANAGEMENT APPROVALS
The requirements for service management approvals are contained within the individual policies of the
Volkswagen Warranty Policies and Procedures Manual.

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The method to document involvement and consent of dealership service management for various
types of repairs is by Service Manager or Service Director signature, date, and explanation.
In cases where the Service Manager or Service Director is unavailable, the dealership is to designate
other individuals to be responsible and accountable for all of the dealership’s service management
approvals. Service Manager/Service Director designates are to be salaried or non-commissioned
members of the dealership’s service management team.
A Service Manager/Service Director designate would normally be someone who supervises
employees, is responsible for the performance of the service department, and administers or applies
Volkswagen’s warranty policies and procedures. Service Technicians, Warranty Administrators, and
other support staff or hourly/commission-compensated personnel are not to be empowered for service
management approvals. Additionally, the delegation of service management approvals is to be
routinely monitored by the dealership’s General Manager to ensure compliance with Volkswagen’s
warranty policies and procedures.
AUTHORIZATION FORMS
This includes, but is not limited to: All authorization forms such as the Warranty Parts Release
Authorization Form.
Forms are available on WISE under Resource Center > Forms.
INVOICES, LOANER AGREEMENTS, ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION FORM
All sublet invoices and loaner agreements must be included with the repair order. Invoices are not
considered repair order copies. An alternate transportation form must be included with the repair order
if the alternate transportation service is not documented on the repair order.
ELECTRONIC REPAIR ORDER (ERO) DOCUMENTATION
Dealers using an ERO system must print a copy of the ERO following the initial write-up, including
customer concerns, VIN, mileage and other required information. The dealer must have the customer
sign the ERO copy and retain it along with all other supporting documentation needed for the warranty
repair.
DOCUMENT ALTERATIONS
Dealers using manual repair orders or an electronic repair order (ERO) system containing alterations
made to Suggested Repair Times (SRTs), customer complaint, technician repair order time control
records and/or material issues must retain both pre-modified and modified documents for review by
VWoA. Paid warranty claims resulting from unjustified documentation alterations will be charged back.
TECHNICIAN TIME RECORD (TIME FLAG OR ELECTRONIC EQUIVALENT)
The repair order must include a record of the technician’s time spent for each repair line whether the
repair is billed to warranty, customer-pay, or an internal dealership account. Each repair line must
have a minimum of one time record [except as indicated by policy 3.51 Service Xpress (VW Brand
Approved)]

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Each time record must indicate the time and date punched "on" and the time and date punched "off"
for each repair line. In the case of manually-affixed time flags, the time record must indicate the
technician number, repair order number, and repair order line. The tear-off stub must be permanently
affixed to the back of the repair order hard copy. Dealerships utilizing an electronic time recording
system must ensure that the system programming supports the aforementioned requirements.
The technician time record must reflect the time spent for each repair expressed in hundredths of an
hour.

2.3.3

DOCUMENTATION FOR PAINT AND CORROSION CLAIMS
See section 3.36 Paint and Corrosion Repairs.

2.3.4

DOCUMENTATION FOR PARTS WARRANTY CLAIMS
When an item covered under the Volkswagen Parts and Accessories Limited Warranty or the
Volkswagen Limited Lifetime Warranty for Volkswagen Replacement Mufflers, Shock Absorbers,
Struts and Strut Inserts is claimed defective, its eligibility must be documented by the previous repair
order. "Previous repair order" is defined as the repair order with which the eligible item was installed in
the vehicle by an authorized Volkswagen dealer.
Minimum information included must be the customer name, VIN, date, and mileage at installation.
A parts counter sales ticket will take the place of the previous repair order if an authorized dealer did
not install the item. Minimum information on the parts counter sales ticket must include the date of
sale, the customer name, and part quantity and part number. Each elapsed month in service equals
1,000 miles for purposes of coverage eligibility.

2.3.5

DOCUMENT RETENTION
All documentation supporting warranty and non-warranty repairs must be retained for a minimum of 2
years after the claims have been paid. All records must be available for periodic review by a
Volkswagen representative.
Documentation that must be retained includes but is not limited to:
 All dealer copies of repair orders and their material issues
 All dealer copies of parts orders and purged invoices

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 Technician payroll records including daily, weekly, and monthly time control records,
corresponding summary reports, and employment records
 Invoices supporting each warranty, recall, No Charge Scheduled Maintenance, or any other type
of repair submitted to Volkswagen for processing and payment
 Work distribution control forms or schedules, customer service appointment scheduling
documents, and technician repair work distribution forms
 Original invoices for outside purchases of parts or repair services (sublet), and records of charges
and payment for such services
 All dated shipping records for part(s) requested through the Warranty Parts Shipping Portal
(WPSP) that identify the individual repair order (claim), VIN, shipper, and shipped-to destination
 Parts ordering records that support the need for a loaner vehicle, such as back-order records to
verify that Volkswagen could not supply parts for the vehicle when needed
 Any and all documentation supporting a dealer's request for reimbursement for claimed warranty
service and repair work
 All loaner agreements
 Note: There may be legal requirements for the retention of documents in excess of 2 years.
Dealers are advised to verify such requirements with their legal/financial advisors and government
agencies.

2.3.6

STORAGE, ACCESS TO, AND REPRODUCTION OF DEALER RECORDS
Volkswagen representatives must be able to verify repair order documentation consisting of legible,
detailed records of both warranty and non-warranty service work performed. The dealer is responsible
to assure that the information is properly documented, legible, and accessible.
A system of document security must be in place that protects against the information being altered or
destroyed once a repair order is finally closed. Precautionary measures must also be taken to ensure
document legibility, for example, photocopies of Midtronics® Battery Tester printouts to keep the heatsensitive paper from fading.
Dealers using electronic or hybrid repair order systems must print a copy of the electronic repair order
following initial write-up including the customer concerns, VIN, and other required information. The
dealer must then have the customer sign the electronic or hybrid repair order copy and file in VIN
sequence in a separate file set up for the purpose of retaining the customer signature.
All records (customer pay, warranty and internal) must be retrievable by VIN sequence. Retrieval of
repair order documents by VIN sequence allows the dealer the flexibility to meet individual dealer
service department needs as well as enhance customer satisfaction, and assure that all records
relating to a vehicle's service and repair are in the VIN folder.

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SCANNED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Volkswagen will accept scanned electronic/digital reproductions of the original repair order and
supporting documentation provided the documentation is clearly legible for review and available when
requested. Original documents may be discarded only if there is a way to retrieve acceptable
electronically stored documents, and the dealer must have a back-up recovery plan to replace
electronically stored documents in the event of disaster.
All scanned documentation must:
 Be complete and retained as outlined in section 2.3 Repair Order Documentation in effect at the
time of the repair.
 Be easily retrievable by VIN sequence.
 Prohibit changes to the document after it has been imaged. If modification is necessary, both
original and modified copies must be available, with proper explanation signed and approved by
dealership management.
 Note: The customer's signature, service management signatures, and technicians' time flags may
be provided electronically with no traditional paper time flags attached to any document when this
feature is part of the ERO system used in the dealership.

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