My 2019 vw atlas se w/ tech has been in service since Thanksgiving. 27 months left, 12k/yr, only 9k mi on it, no money down, $407/mo (including 7% sales tax). Corporate is offering $5k to keep the car in service, $2.5k cash & end lease, or replace with 2021 (same trim).
My loaner is a 2020 atlas & I like it and corporate is promising to keep me in a comparable loaner if the dealer wants it back for some reason.
Ending the lease is tempting but I don’t have anything else lined up & don’t want to rush into it.
Replace with 2021 feels like the most flexible option. Not to mention I should have a good amount of equity in it at the end of the lease considering it’ll be 2 model years newer and probably have ~12k less miles on it.
Anyone been in a similar situation? Any advice? Any options I definitely shouldn’t do? Thanks.
I would get more details regarding what exactly is meant by the “replace with 2021” option.
Meaning, are they going to give you a comparable 2021 model to keep for the remaining 27 months on your existing contract, or will this be a new contract for a fresh 36 months at your current payment?
Your current contract is for your specific VIN with a specific RV based on the terms when you signed, so I find it hard to believe VW would just give you a new 2021 as part of a buyback without changing anything else. But who knows.
Corporate is saying the lease wouldn’t change so same term (27mo remaining), payment ($407), etc. They would just swap the VIN. It would be a comparable model so 2021 atlas se w/ tech (supposedly even down to the options… Weather mats, chrome upgrades, etc). They are even throwing in a sunroof that I didn’t have before ($1200 upgrade).
The RV is $21k written in the original contract so I’m assuming that wouldn’t change despite the fact that the math to come up with that would be completely different now. But that’s a good point. I will clarify.
Haven’t talked with a lemon law lawyer although I’ve read up on it & this all started from me following the lemon law steps of notifying corporate via certified mail (got a completely different, unhelpful response when just trying to call them).
You have a ton of good options, obviously consult with your attorney, s/o, goldfish whatever you got.
Options: 5k to keep far (worse IMO), 2.5k to terminate (that’s a good 84/month towards another car), vin swap (brand new and better car, shorter term with good payment).
Maybe that’s the next step, usually consultations are free. I’ve been going through the same process, a wiring harness on my wagon is faulty and they’ve replaced it to no avail (blown another 2x fuses, and now the headlights and side mirrors are faulty), so now with positive equity in both my cars I’m looking for new options, with a lemon law attorney helping.
If this is actually true & will be followed through to the exact specs you listed then go for it since you mentioned that you like the vehicle, but you first need to confirm all this information to the dot. I personally wouldn’t rush to make a decision and try to seek out some professional advice regarding your other options.
Do your due diligence and chat with the attorney, but I’d hold off on mentioning that to VW - you may find all their helpfulness and communication stop if they know you are thinking of legal action.
I’ll be even more blunt, from experience: if you mention to anyone at VW you are speaking with an attorney, deal is off. That news should always be delivered to manufacturer by your attorney if you move forward together.
I would definitely not take cash to keep the problem Atlas. If you like the Atlas, collateral exchange for a new one gives you new odds (for another lemon) on a car you like, in a better lease than you can get now.
Getting an attorney involved feels greedy at this point. Corporate’s options feel pretty reasonable… More than I was expecting. Even if I could get more involving an attorney, that’s more time & effort I’d have to sink in than I’ve already wanted to.
I’m leaning towards the replacement option because I like the car & it should have equity if I change my mind.
Look at it another way: have you read every line of your lease agreement? They have. How many lemons have you negotiated? They do this for a living.
For free, to get the benefit of all of that experience, especially any unforeseen problems or situations moving forward solo you couldn’t possibly know now, is priceless.
If they review everything, they think the offer is solid, and they have nothing to add to the process, they’ll suggest you move forward by yourself. They’re typically not ambulance chasers trying to insert themselves in a situation unless it’s possible you will get tripped up or the money you’re leaving on the table is orders of magnitude more (ps: you are).
You are at the point where a lawyer will complicate the issue and extend this process. You have some pretty reasonable options, which is further than most people get when they have a potential lemon problem. And I don’t see a lawyer adding more value for you at this point in time but a free consolation won’t hurt.
You don’t have an extensive consultation. They could answer this question in a 10 minute conversation. If there’s room, they’ll take the case and make money. If there isn’t, they’ll let you know. The only way they make money is by taking consultations.
Not saying I couldn’t get more money out of the deal if I involved an attorney. Just saying I’ve been offered more than I expected. Time is money & I feel like I’m exceeding the cost to benefit. If this car killed my whole family due to this issue, we’d be having a completely different conversation.
Fortunately the problem with the car is more annoying than dangerous (as far as I know) & supposedly would have been fixed by now if a part wasn’t on indefinite backorder.
This right here is the big reason why there is never a good argument for going at this alone. For the same cost, you can have a professional attorney that deals with lemons all day, every day handle everything for you OR you can go it alone, having no clue what your legal options are, and have to deal with all the BS yourself.
lawyer and go from there.