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Group>Ethics, Risk Management & Compliance

Our Whistleblower System

Complying with statutory regulations and internal rules, and the principles laid down in our Code of Conduct and the Code of Conduct for Business Partners, has top priority at the Volkswagen Group. Integrity and compliance are essential prerequisites for our company's success. To meet these standards, it is important to learn of potential employee or supplier misconduct and to put a stop to it. That is why the Central Investigation Office operates an independent, impartial and confidential whistleblowing system for us.

A key pillar of our whistleblower system is the principle of due process. It is intended to ensure the greatest possible protection for whistleblowers, those affected, and employees who assist in investigating the reported misconduct.

This also includes offering opportunities for anonymous reporting and communication. We assure not to perform any steps in order to identify anonymous whistleblowers, who do not misuse our Whistleblower System. Retaliation of whistleblowers and all persons who contribute to investigations at the Volkswagen Group will not be tolerated. Persons implicated are presumed innocent until the violation is proven. Investigations will be conducted with the utmost confidentiality. The information will be processed in a fair, fast and protected process.

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How do we process a report?

The qualified and experienced colleagues at the Investigation Office examine every report for potential misconduct by a Volkswagen Group employee thoroughly and follow it up systematically. First, whistleblowers will get a confirmation of receipt. The Investigation Office then assesses their report. This includes gathering facts particularly from the whistleblower. Only if this initial evaluation shows grounds for suspicion of a violation an investigation by a dedicated Investigating Unit will be started. Afterward, the results of the investigation will be assessed by the Investigation Office and appropriate measures will be recommended. Information about the status* and the outcome of the procedure will be provided without undue delay.

Potential violations of the Code of Conduct for Business Partners by suppliers, including serious risks and violations of human rights and environment by direct and indirect suppliers, can also be reported to the Investigation Office – as well as reports otherwise requiring immediate action. The Investigation Office will inform the responsible departments, who will process the issue accordingly. This particularly includes taking the necessary measures to minimize or end violations and/or risks.
More information on the respective procedural principles can be found here.

* The processing time varies depending on the subject of the procedure.

How do I make a report?

The Investigation Office only processes reports relating to the following points:

  • potential serious violations by employees of the Volkswagen Group
  • potential violations of the Code of Conduct for Business Partners, including serious risks and violations of human rights and environment in the Supply Chain of the Volkswagen Group

For other reports, such as complaints or feedback on vehicles and services of the Volkswagen Group or our business partners (e.g. car dealerships, workshops), please contact kundenbetreuung@volkswagen.de (for customers from Germany) or contact the customer service via the toll-free hotline: 0800 - 86 55 79 24 36. International customers should contact customercare@volkswagen.de by E-mail. Please understand that we will not be able to forward your request or take any action for reasons of responsibility.

It is important to make sure the information contained in a report submitted to the Investigation Office is as concrete as possible so that it can be processed and investigated in an appropriate manner.

It is helpful if the report covers the following five questions:

Who? What? When? How? Where?

Whistleblowers are asked to make sure that the descriptions contained in a report can be easily understood by persons who are not specialists in the field. It will be helpful if whistleblowers are available to answer further questions. Persons who are willing to do so, but wish to remain anonymous to the company, please contact the ombudspersons or use the Online Reporting Channel to make the report.

In case of violations of regulations on data protection, please contact the Data-Breach-Hotline (+49 5361-9-28479) of the Volkswagen AG.

This video shows why the whistleblower system is a central and important part of the company and how it works.

What kind of report do you want to submit?

A complaint about products or services to our customer service

For complaints or feedback about vehicles and services of the Volkswagen Group or our business partners (e.g. car dealerships, workshops), please contact Volkswagen Customer Care:

Please understand that we will not be able to forward your request or take any action for reasons of responsibility.

A report of potential misconduct to our Whistleblower System

The Whistleblower System offers various channels for reporting potential misconduct by Volkswagen AG employees, violations of the Code of Conduct for Business Partners or serious risks and violations of human rights and environment in our Supply Chain.

However, this does not affect the statutory right to contact designated authorities as described below.

The Central Investigation Office of the Volkswagen AG can be reached via e-mail: io@volkswagen.de.

For customer complaints, please contact the channels listed under A complaint about products or services to our customer service.


Postal address: 

Volkswagen AG
Central Investigation Office
Mailbox 1717
Berliner Ring 2
38440 Wolfsburg
Germany

In person: Please make an appointment in advance by writing an e-mail to io@volkswagen.de. 


The Volkswagen Group has appointed external lawyers to act as Ombudspersons. They advise on the Whistleblower System or ensure that reports from whistleblowers are forwarded anonymously to the Investigation Office if desired.

People who want to get in contact with the Ombudspersons can find their contact details here: https://www.ombudsmen-of-volkswagen.com/


You have the option of using a web-based communication platform to contact the Investigation Office in more than 65 languages. This system is confidential and technically secured and allows you to submit reports anonymously.
You can find detailed instructions on how to make reports online, by app or by phone here.

You can leave us a voice message by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. After entering the phone number (specific to the country you are in), you will be prompted to enter the organization code. Then, you can submit your report as a voice recording. Only a written transcript will be received by the Investigation Office. Dial back in to listen to the reply or further questions by our team.

Select a phone number from this list for your country or region and have the corresponding organizational code 122203 ready.

You can also download the app “SpeakUp“ by People Intouch (personal devices only) to access the secure reporting system. To download the app, you can scan the following QR code.

QR code

Through this app, you can submit your report in writing or leave a voice message (also anonymously). You will need the organization code 122203. Alternatively, you can scan the following QR code:

QR code on a white background.

Log back in to see our team’s reply or answer further questions.

External Reporting Channels

We encourage reporting of misconduct via the internal reporting channels. However, in view of the EU Whistleblowing Directive, EU member states have defined (or will soon define) designated authorities that also accept reports on misconduct as external reporting channels.

An overview of these external reporting channels is available under this link. 


External Reporting Channels for Germany

The German government has defined a designated authority, that also accepts reports on misconduct as external reporting channel. The external reporting channel is the Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz) (BfJ - Hinweisgeberstelle (bundesjustizamt.de).


Declaration of data protection

The declaration of data protection for reports can be found here:

Declaration of data protection for the Whistleblower System of the Volkwagen Group

Privacy Notice SpeakUp® whistleblowing and reporting platform 


Questions or suggestions for improvements to the Whistleblower System can also be directed to the Central Investigation Office.

Having been interviewed as part of an investigation, there is the opportunity to provide feedback to the Ombudsperson as an independent party.

Supply Chain_Sustainability
Sustainability in the Supply Chain
The specified fuel consumption and emission data does not refer to a single vehicle and is not part of the offer but is only intended for comparison between different types of vehicles. Additional equipment and accessories (additional components, tyre formats, etc.) can alter relevant vehicle parameters such as weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics, affecting the vehicle's fuel consumption, power consumption, CO₂ emissions and driving performance values in addition to weather and traffic conditions and individual driving behavior. Further information on official fuel consumption data and official specific CO₂ emissions for new passenger cars can be found in the "Guide to fuel economy, CO₂ emissions and power consumption for new passenger car models", which is available free of charge from all sales dealerships and from DAT Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH, Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, D-73760 Ostfildern, Germany and at www.dat.de/co2.