Volkswagen to provide free vehicle tracking after mishandled response to carjacking in Libertyville

Volkswagen announced Tuesday that it would offer complimentary emergency services to most newer models of its cars after deputies in Lake County were delayed in tracking a stolen vehicle with a child inside last month.

Starting June 1, the company will offer complimentary Car-Net Safe and Secure connected emergency services in the U.S. for five years for most model year 2020 to 2023 vehicles, Volkswagen of America said in a statement.

The services include stolen vehicle locator, anti-theft alerts, automatic crash notifications and emergency assistance, the company said.

The new policy comes in response to a carjacking that occurred around 3:35 p.m. Feb. 23 at a home in the 16000 block of Route 137 in unincorporated Libertyville. A woman, 34, had just pulled into her driveway and brought one of her children into the house, the Lake County sheriff’s office said.

As she returned to her SUV for her toddler, a male passenger got out of a BMW and drove off with the Volkswagen.

Deputies tried to track down the Volkswagen and reached out to Car-Net, but the trial period for the service had ended, and a representative wanted $150 to restart the service and locate the SUV.

The detective pleaded, explaining the “extremely exigent circumstance,” but the representative didn’t budge, saying it was company policy, the sheriff’s office said.

The detective paid $150 to restart the service, but by then 30 minutes had passed since the carjacking and authorities had already located the vehicle. The 2-year-old was found safe.

“The family was thankfully reunited, but the crime and the process failure are heartbreaking for me,” Rachael Zaluzec, senior vice president of customer experience and brand marketing for Volkswagen of America, said in a statement Wednesday. “As a mom and an aunt, I can imagine how painful this incident must have been. Words can’t adequately express how truly sorry I am for what the family endured.”

At the time, Volkswagen called the incident “a serious breach of the process” and vowed to address the situation with the parties involved.

Contributing: Kade Heather