The Volkswagen Crafter was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period, which ran from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. The FCA investigation revealed that
discretionary commission arrangements were widespread in the motor finance industry, affecting 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) and totalling £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026). Affected customers who financed their Volkswagen Crafters during this period may have paid an average of £829 more than they should have due to these arrangements.
How the Volkswagen Crafter was Typically Financed
The Volkswagen Crafter, a versatile van model suitable for commercial use, was often sold with finance agreements that included Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and Hire Purchase (HP). PCP terms typically ranged from £20,000-£45,000 over 36 to 60 months. During this period, several major lenders were commonly involved in financing Volkswagen Crafters, including
Black Horse,
Lombard,
Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions.
PCP agreements for the Crafter often featured a balloon payment at the end of the term, which required customers to either purchase the vehicle outright or return it. This structure can be complex and may have led to misunderstandings about the total cost of ownership, especially when discretionary commissions were involved in financing arrangements.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched an investigation into motor finance practices, focusing on how discretionary commission arrangements affected consumers. These arrangements allowed lenders to receive additional payments from car manufacturers based on the type and volume of vehicles sold through finance agreements. During the investigation period, these arrangements were found to have inflated the cost of financing for many customers who purchased Volkswagen Crafters.
The FCA's findings revealed that 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) across various vehicle types, including commercial vans like the Crafter, were affected by these discretionary commission practices. The total amount involved was estimated at £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026), with an average of £829 per customer being overcharged (FCA estimate). This investigation highlighted significant discrepancies in how motor finance agreements were structured and disclosed to customers.
How to Check Your Agreement Key indicators include:
- Relevant Dates: Your financing agreement must have been signed between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024 to be potentially impacted.
- DCA Reference: Look for any mention of "Discretionary Commission Arrangement" (DCA) in your finance contract. This term may indicate that the arrangement was used.
It is essential to check these details thoroughly, as many customers were unaware of how discretionary commissions influenced their financing terms and costs.
If you believe your Volkswagen Crafter's finance agreement was affected by the FCA’s investigation into discretionary commission arrangements, it is important to address the issue directly with your lender. Common lenders who financed Volkswagen Crafters during this period include:
- Black Horse
- Lombard
- Close Brothers Motor Finance
- Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions
These lenders have established complaint procedures that allow you to raise concerns and seek redress without needing a
claims management company. You can contact your lender directly through their customer service or complaints department.
You do not need a claims management company to handle your case; the process is straightforward, and many customers have successfully obtained refunds by addressing the issue directly with their finance provider.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), 2024
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census 2021
Based on 58,623 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Volkswagen Crafter has a pass rate of 76.2%. This is below the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Crafter has a higher-than-average failure rate in MOT testing.
The Crafter pass rate is slightly below the overall Volkswagen average of 80.1%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 125,815 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 76.2%
- MOT failure rate: 23.8%
- Tests analysed: 58,623 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 125,815 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.