VW Does Not Recommend the Use of non-OE Unibody/Structural Components in Any Repairs
To promote and maintain its rigorous standards of quality and safety, Volkswagen of America, Inc. provides collision repair centers with critical information about collision repair and parts replacement on Volkswagen vehicles. In this blog, they outline the importance of using only original parts and avoiding aftermarket/recycled or salvaged unibody/structural components.
How Can This Affect You?
In short, Volkswagen requires the use of new Genuine Volkswagen collision parts in the repair of Volkswagen vehicles. These parts are factory tested to provide maximum passenger safety should the vehicle be involved in a future collision.
This Volkswagen repair position statement refers to unibody/structural components including frame rails, apron assemblies, quarter panels, floor structures, bumpers, bumper reinforcement bars, A-pillars, B-pillars, and body panels. These structural components are specifically designed to work in conjunction to provide maximum passenger safety in the event of a future collision. Concessions to any of these individual structural components may negatively impact the complete vehicle structure in the event of a future collision.
Therefore, Volkswagen does not support the use of aftermarket, alternative, reverse-engineered, or remanufactured collision parts for the repair of structural components of any Volkswagen vehicle involved in an accident.
Includes Salvaged OE Parts Too
Additionally, Volkswagen does not support the use of parts that have been removed or salvaged from another vehicle that was previously involved in a collision. These parts are compromised by being exposed to weathering, rust, environmental damage, and heat damage from welders used to remove the parts from vehicles that were previously involved in a collision. These elements can cause Volkswagen’s high-strength steel vehicle unibody parts to lose their structural integrity, which can cause the vehicle to not perform properly if involved in a future collision.
Retain the Value of Your VW
By using only OE unibody/structural components, you will retain the resale value of your VW and keep your warranty in effect as well.
