Seeking Advice – Motability Refusal to Extend Our WAV Lease Despite Exceptional Circumstances

Degfamily

Hi everyone,

We’re reaching out for advice and support after receiving a final decision from Motability refusing to extend our lease.

Our family currently has a VW Caravelle WAV, which has been heavily adapted for our daughter’s specific needs. It took almost two years from ordering to delivery, largely due to the widespread vehicle shortages during Covid.

We live around 30 minutes from our daughter’s school, and we made the decision not to use the taxi transport service because our daughter suffers with epilepsy. Having a safe and familiar vehicle is essential for her wellbeing and peace of mind — both for her and for us as parents.

The VW Caravelle has proven to be a safe, practical, and family-friendly vehicle, which also allows our two older sons to travel together with their sister. It plays a huge role in our family life and in maintaining a sense of normality.

When we chose the Caravelle, it was a major financial commitment, but we did so because we believed — and were informed at the time — that extensions of up to 7 years for WAVs were available. That understanding was part of our decision-making process, as we wanted long-term stability for our daughter’s transport.

Unfortunately, our request for an extension has been declined, and the tone of the response felt very dismissive and lacking in empathy, given our circumstances.

To make things more difficult, the next-generation replacement vehicle from VW hasn’t yet gone into production, so there isn’t a suitable alternative available when our current lease ends.

We would be really grateful for any advice or experiences from others who may have been through something similar, or for guidance on how best to challenge or appeal Motability’s decision, as we feel this situation doesn’t reflect the spirit of the scheme.

Thank you so much for reading and for any support you can offer.