The Volkswagen Amarok was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period, which began on 6 April 2007 and concluded on 1 November 2024. The FCA investigation uncovered widespread mis-selling practices in motor finance arrangements, affecting millions of car buyers across the UK. This article aims to provide information about how the Volkswagen Amarok was typically financed during this period, the implications of the FCA's findings, and what steps you can take if your finance agreement is affected.
How the Volkswagen Amarok Was Typically Financed
The Volkswagen Amarok, a popular van model, was often sold on PCP and HP agreements ranging from £20,000 to £45,000. Common lenders for financing this vehicle included
Black Horse,
Lombard,
Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions.
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) agreements typically had terms of 36 to 60 months with a balloon payment at the end of the term. This final payment would either allow you to own the Amarok outright or return it to the lender if you did not wish to continue financing the vehicle. Hire Purchase (HP) arrangements, on the other hand, required full repayment over the agreed period without any option for ownership transfer.
In these agreements, dealers often received additional commissions from lenders based on
discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs). These practices were designed to incentivise sales but ultimately led to mis-selling and unfair terms for consumers.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The Financial Conduct Authority's investigation into motor finance revealed that millions of consumers had been affected by poor selling practices. It was estimated that 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) across the UK were impacted, involving a total sum of £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026). On average, each customer suffered losses amounting to around £829 (FCA estimate) due to unfair commission arrangements and misleading sales tactics.
The FCA's investigation focused on DCAs where dealers received additional commissions from lenders based on the type and length of finance agreement chosen by consumers. These incentives often led to higher interest rates, larger balloon payments, or longer-term agreements than were in the customer’s best interests. The investigation concluded that these practices resulted in significant financial harm to car buyers.
How to Check Your Agreement Look for any mention of discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs) or additional payments that were not clearly explained at the time of purchase.
Relevant dates to consider include agreements signed between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024. If your agreement falls within this period, it is possible that you may have been affected by unfair selling practices related to commissions.
Check for specific clauses or terms in your contract that suggest the finance company provided incentives to dealers based on your choice of financing option. These could be hidden fees or additional charges that were not transparently disclosed during the sales process.
If you believe your Volkswagen Amarok finance agreement is affected by the FCA's findings, you can complain directly to your lender without needing a
claims management company. Common lenders associated with financing this vehicle include Black Horse, Lombard, Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions.
When contacting your lender, provide detailed information about your concerns and any evidence from your finance agreement that supports your case. Explain how you believe the discretionary commission arrangements may have impacted your deal and request a review of your contract under the new FCA guidelines.
You do not need to pay for services or use claims management companies to handle these complaints. Lenders are required by law to address customer concerns fairly and transparently without charging extra fees.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). "Motor Finance Investigation." 2024.
- Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). "Consumer Complaints Statistics." 2024.
Volkswagen Amarok [MOT Pass Rate](https://mlj.org.uk/tools/mot-statistics)
Based on 22,588 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Volkswagen Amarok has a pass rate of 82.5%. This is close to the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Amarok performs about average in MOT testing.
The Amarok pass rate is better than the overall Volkswagen average of 80.1%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 95,189 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 82.5%
- MOT failure rate: 17.5%
- Tests analysed: 22,588 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 95,189 miles
- Volkswagen average pass rate: 80.1%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.