Whistleblower System of the Volkswagen Group
Complying with statutory regulations and internal rules has top priority at Volkswagen. The success of our company is based on Integrity and Compliance. To meet this standard, it is important to learn of potential misconduct and to put a stop to it. The Volkswagen Group's Whistleblower System offers the opportunity to report potential misconduct of employees.
We examine every report thoroughly and follow it up systematically. A key pillar of the whistleblower system is the principle of
procedural fairness. We also guarantee the greatest possible protection for whistleblowers, persons implicated and employees contributing to the investigation of reported misconduct. Retaliation of whistleblowers and all employees who contribute to promoting correct behavior at Volkswagen 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.
Do you have any concern or feedback regarding a Volkswagen product or service?
If you have any questions or inquiries regarding your new or old vehicle, feedback or complaints about services provided by the Volkswagen Group or our business partners (e.g. car dealerships, workshops), please contact Volkswagen Customer Care via customercare@volkswagen.de or use the Dialog Center provided for this purpose.
We kindly ask for your understanding that the whistleblower system unfortunately cannot accept, process and, in particular, forward customer complaints or concerns. Our colleagues from Customer Care will be happy to review your concern and take all necessary steps in order to provide for your best possible mobility experience.
Making a report
You have the option of using an internet-based communication platform to contact the Investigation Office, exchange documents and conduct a dialog with the lawyers via a separate mailbox. This system is confidential and protected. Whistleblowers can decide for themselves whether they wish to give their names. If you would like to send a confidential report to the lawyers in the Investigation Office you can use the secure reporting channel to submit a report.
Important notice: Even if your preferred language is not offered in the reporting channel, you can use any language to submit you report. You can also contact the Central Investigation Office in any language via e-mail or mail.
You can get in contact with the Investigation Office of the Volkswagen Group via e-mail: io@volkswagen.de
You can make a report at any time using the international toll-free number: +800 444 46300*
If your local telephone provider does not support the toll-free service, you can call the following chargeable number:
+49 5361 946300.
* Depending on the country you are calling from, it is possible that the international toll-free hotline is not available since some telephone network providers do not support the service. If so, please use the offered chargeable number or your country specific number.
Country specific numbers:
- Brazil
0800-5912743 (Toll Free Number)
021-23911381 (Local Number)
- Mexico
001-800-4610242 (Toll Free Number)
0155-71000355 (Local Number)
- Slovak Republic
0800-002576 (Toll Free Number)
02-33325602 (Local Number)
- USA
833-6571574 (Toll Free Number)
908-2198092 (Local Number)
- South Africa
0800-99483 (Toll Free Number)
021-1003533 (Local Number)
- Malaysia
1-800-819523 (Toll Free Number)
0154-600099 (Local Number)
- Argentina
0800-6662992 (Toll Free Number)
011-52528632 (Local Number)
Postal address: Central Investigation Office
Box 1717
38436 Wolfsburg (downtown)
Germany
In person: Central Investigation Office
Porschestraße 1
38440 Wolfsburg (downtown)
Germany
Please make an appointment in advance by writing an e-mail to: io@volkswagen.de.
Ombudspersons in the Volkswagen Group
Ombudspersons of the Volkswagen Group“Ombudsman” is a term taken from the Swedish word for mediator or legal representative. Dr. Rainer Buchert and Thomas Rohrbach, the external ombudspersons appointed by the Volkswagen Group, act as special counsel to accept reports of potential statutory or internal violation of regulations or any other kind of harmful conduct in the Group, and to review these with respect to plausibility and substantiability. They consult with the whistleblower if necessary and if the identity of the whistleblower is known. Finally, they forward all the information that has been agreed with the whistleblower to the Investigation Office for further processing.
All information is treated as confidential and it is the whistleblower who decides whether he or she wishes to protect his or her identity vis-à-vis the Group. The ombudspersons appointed by the Group ensure that reports from whistleblowers who do not wish to be identified by the company are forwarded to the Investigation Office anonymously.
If you want to get in contact with the Ombudspersons you can find their contact details on the following homepage: http://www.ombudsmen-of-volkswagen.com
Please find the declaration of data protection for reports here: Declaration of data protection for the Whistleblower System of the Volkwagen Group.
How do I make a report?
It is important to make sure the information contained in the report you submit 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 your report covers the following five questions:
Who? What? When? How? Where?
Please make sure that the descriptions contained in your report can be easily understood by persons who are not specialists in your field. It would be helpful if you are available to answer further questions. If you would be willing to do so, but wish to remain anonymous to the company, please contact the ombudspersons or use the Online Reporting Channel to make your report.
In case of violations of regulations on data protection we kindly ask you to contact the Data-Breach-Hotline (+49 5361-9-28479) of the Volkswagen AG.
Responsible for content
The Volkswagen Investigation Office is responsible for the content of this page.
Central Investigation Office
Box 1717
38436 Wolfsburg
Germany