In late February, a pregnant Illinois woman was run over and severely injured in a carjacking that saw the perpetrator fleeing in the vehicle with the victim’s 2-year-old still strapped inside.
However, when cops tried to activate the Volkswagen car’s tracking service, called Car-Net, they were told they needed to re-up the subscription for $150 before VW could provide any help.
By the time they did, the car and the toddler had been recovered safely — no thanks to VW.
As a mea culpa for what it later called a “serious breach of [its] process,” the automaker is now offering five years of Car-Net tracking for free for owners of their 2020 through 2023 vehicles that feature the tech.
“Volkswagen must and will do better for everyone that trusts our brand and for the law enforcement officials tasked with protecting us,” Rachel Zaluzec, a senior vice president at Volkswagen, said in a statement released Tuesday.
“Today, we are setting a new standard for customer peace of mind. As of June 1st, we will make these connected vehicle emergency services free for five years as one significant step we can take as a commitment to our owners and their families.”
Although she suffered broken bones in the crime, the victim’s unborn child was apparently unharmed; doctors called it a miracle.