Two VW vans showing their wing mirrors folded and unfolded.

The real cost of replacement wing mirrors
Volkswagen reveals £655 million repair bill for broken wing mirrors.

Almost two-thirds of van drivers have had their wing mirrors clipped when driving along narrow streets or while parked, according to recent research by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles*. Broken or damaged wing mirrors can lead to expensive repairs and vehicle downtime.

_{*Survey of 1,000 van drivers by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles}

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A closeup of a VW vans folded wing mirror.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has calculated that damage to wing mirrors has cost UK van drivers £655 million in repair costs in their lifetime with additional losses racked up due to vehicle downtime.**

According to the research, a total of 62 per cent of van drivers have had their wing mirrors damaged with over a third admitting it has happened multiple times. The figures also reveal the most common cause of wing mirror damage is driving down a narrow street (62%), followed by on-street parking (21%), and public car parks (15%).

_{**Figure calculated from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles average wing mirror repair cost for full replacement housing and glass, including labour}

Replacement wing mirrors are the single most common repair that Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles technicians handle each year, with glass and mirrors accounting for 10 times more repairs than any other part.

Volkswagen Transporter 6.1 and the new fifth-generation Caddy Cargo both have automatic folding mirrors as standard, making it easier for customers to fold in their mirrors in tight situations and avoid expensive repair costs.

A VW van driving down a street next to parked vehicles in a suburban setting.

A close up of a VW Transporters folded wing mirror.

“As one of the most common repair jobs, we know that a broken wing mirror is all too common for van drivers and leads to frustrating downtime."

“The impact of wing mirror damage on finances and business operations shows how important it is to manually fold in wing mirrors, and how cost-effective automatic folding mirrors can be to van drivers and fleet managers - that’s why they’re fitted as standard on our latest models, including Transporter 6.1 and Caddy Cargo.”

- James Allitt, Head of Aftersales for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles

A VW Transporter parked in a suburban setting.

As part of its aftersales offering, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles operates Mobile Service Clinic vans across the UK, to help minimise downtime and complete repairs quickly and efficiently. These specially converted Volkswagen Crafters are kitted out with an array of on-board tools to allow them to carry out service work, inspections and repairs, including on wing mirrors, at a safe location and time to suit the customer.