Volkswagen: previous owners, selling, and privacy settings
Last checked: 28 Sep 2026
Volkswagen's connected services: Volkswagen app, VW Connect (formerly We Connect and Car-Net). The buyer can remove the previous primary user on the car's screen; the old owner is emailed and has two weeks to reverse it.
Bought it used: remove the previous owner
- Become primary userIn the car
Menu → Users → Settings → Become primary userVW's terms say the car's screen shows whether it's still assigned to a primary user, and the buyer can delete that user. When a new primary user connects, the old contract ends automatically.
You need both keys. VW emails the old owner, who can reverse the transfer within two weeks. Guest users can be deleted in the car by anyone.
Selling: unlink and wipe
- Remove the car from your Volkswagen IDIn the app
Volkswagen IDVW's terms say to remove the car from your Volkswagen ID; a reset in the car alone doesn't end your contract.
The terms don't give the menu path. To delete your whole Volkswagen ID: myVolkswagen → Account settings → Manage account.
- Primary user resetIn the car
Car screen → Primary user resetDeletes your personal data from the car, per VW's terms.
VW's terms name the reset but the exact in-car menu path isn't in the pages we could read (the owner's manual needs a VIN).
Privacy and offline settings
- Online or offline mode (ID. models)ID. models
Privacy settings → Online / offline modeVW says offline mode usually stops personal data being sent. Emergency calling (eCall) and mobile keys are exceptions. Parking Position can be turned off in the same settings.
Applies to the ID. family, Amarok (2023 on) and Transporter/Caravelle (2025 on). The full menu path isn't confirmed.
- Service managementIn the app
Volkswagen app → Service managementSwitch individual VW Connect services on or off for each user.
Good to know
- VW's connected services are provided by Volkswagen AG in Germany; VW UK's privacy contact is [email protected].
Not found in Volkswagen's public UK documents: The in-car path for the primary user reset, and VW's privacy policy for models outside the ID. family, Amarok and Transporter. Menu paths can differ by model and software version; each one here is for the version its source names.
Sources
- volkswagen.co.uk/idhub/content/dam/onehub_master/pc/connectivity-and-mobility-services/we-
- consent.vwgroup.io/consent/v1/texts/WeConnect/gb/en/termsofuse/latest/html
- consent.vwgroup.io/consent/v1/texts/WeConnect/gb/en/dataprivacycar/latest/html
- consent.vwgroup.io/consent/v1/texts/weconnect/gb/en/dataprivacy/latest/pdf
This page describes your options and how organisations say they handle requests. It isn't legal advice. See About & sourcing to report a correction.