FAQ about SFD (Schutz Fahrzeug Diagnose)

Vehicle Diagnostic Protection (also known as SFD - Schutz Fahrzeug Diagnose) is an additional security layer that requires authorization between the vehicle and manufacturer. It may help to protect people from any fraud, by providing information on who and when has made modifications. This protection applies to the models manufactured from 2020 with the MQB Evo (VW Golf 8, Škoda Octavia IV, Seat Leon IV, Audi A3 8Y, Q4, etc.) and the MEB (VW ID.3, ID.4, Škoda Enyaq, etc.) platforms, restricting such features as adaptations, coding, parametrizations.

Control units protected by SFD: Engine Electronics, Central Electrics, Instrument Cluster, Gateway Electrics, Multimedia Unit, etc.

In order to unlock SFD protection, you can use any OBDeleven device: First-Gen (white) or Next-Gen (black).

SFD access is limited to:
    • 100 requests per user per hour;
    • 1000 requests per user per day
    • 20 requests per tool manufacturer per second

    • 40 different VIN’s per user per day.

You will be notified when you will reach your limit. To access SFD restricted control units you may have to wait about an hour.

The unlock of SFD will not work if you are located in China.

For all OBDeleven PRO, ULTIMATE, and One-Click Apps users SFD will be unlocked for free.

As far as we know these are the cars that have the SFD protection:
    • Audi A3 from 2020
    • Audi Q4 from 2021
    • Volkswagen ID.3 from 2020
    • Volkswagen ID.4 from 2021
    • Volkswagen ID.5 from 2022
    • Volkswagen ID.6 from 2021
    • Volkswagen Golf 8 from 2020
    • Volkswagen Caddy from 2021
    • Volkswagen Teramont from 2020
    • Volkswagen Talagon from 2021
    • Škoda Octavia from 2020
    • Škoda Enyaq from 2021
    • Seat Leon from 2020
    • Cupra Leon from 2020
    • Cupra Born from 2021
    • Cupra Formentor from 2020

The list is incomplete. We are working on completing the list - keep in mind that your car might be SFD protected even if it is not on the list.

If you have OBDeleven you can check it in the live data parameters of each control unit in ''SFD activated status''.

29. When using the Mobile Application and OBDevelen hardware to connect to the SFD (Schutz Fahrzeug Diagnose / Vehicle Diagnostic Protection) service, you must comply with the following rules:
    - the SFD service is only allowed to be used as part of the actions required for the repair (purpose limitation);
    - you are personally responsible for all the SFD activities carried out under your user name;
    - any forwarding of SFD tokens to third parties is prohibited;
    - the data protection provisions that are applicable in each case must be observed in relation to the vehicle user.
    - the maximum permissible number of SFD interface and VIN number requests is:
        • 100 requests per user per hour;
        • 1000 requests per user per day
        • 20 requests per tool manufacturer per second
        • 40 different VIN’s per user per day.

30. Volkswagen shall carry out necessary scheduled maintenance on hardware, software and network components, preferably between 10:00 am and 12 noon CET (between 11:00 am and 13:00 Lithuania time) on the second Sunday of the month. Activity interruptions are possible at this time.

31. The Terms of use of the Volkswagen Group's SFD service can be accessed here: datenschutz.volkswagen.de/download?lang=de-de We will inform you each time there is a change in the terms of use of the Volkswagen Group's SFD service and ask for your consent to the changed terms.

32. If you use the SFD service in violation to these terms of use or the Volkswagen Group's SFD terms of use, you may face the following consequences:
    - wrongful use (e.g. a breach of the SFD Terms of Use, exceeding the maximum permissible number of requests, transmitting invalid requests) may result in internal assessments and investigations, in turn leading to the account being blocked and - in the case of fraud - giving rise to legal consequences as well;
    - unlawful use (e.g. tampering with control units, modifications to vehicles without the consent of the vehicle user / keeper) may immediately result in the user being blocked and the investigative authorities being brought in

After each connection to the control unit, protected by SFD (Schutz Fahrzeug Diagnose / Vehicle Diagnostic Protection), some of your data (the pseudonymised user ID (name), pseudonymised workshop ID (if applicable), country and or the vehicle VIN code) will be transferred to the Volkswagen Group, which will analyse your actions.

If the Volkswagen Group detects violations of security requirements or other non-compliances and submits a request to us, we will also transfer to the Volkswagen Group and/ or investigative authorities your other personal data – full name, address, e-mail, telephone number and workshop ID and address (if applicable).

When you purchase our products, we will keep your Personal Data for no longer than 10 years (unless we need to keep the data longer under our agreement with the Volkswagen Group - as described below) after which time it will be destroyed. Your information we use for marketing purposes will be kept with us until you or your lawful representative notify us that you no longer wish to receive this information.

If you delete your accounts from our Services, we'll also delete this information. But please note:
(1) there might be some latency in deleting this information from our servers and back-up storage; and
(2) we may retain this information if necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, or enforce our agreements.

Please note that a different procedure than the one above applies to your personal data, which we must provide to the Volkswagen Group.

We will store your personal data, e. g. first name, surname and contact details (postal code, city, street, phone number and e-mail), as well as the vehicle’s VIN code and the pseudonymised ID code assigned to you, for 30 years from the last use of the SFD service (even after your account is removed from our system). The above storage and transfer of your data is required for the traceability of changes made to the SFD-protected control unit (the changes you can make using the Mobile Application and OBDevelen hardware).

The Volkswagen Group, after receiving your personal data, can analyse and store it in its system for 30 years from the last access to the SFD service. The Volkswagen Group will process your personal data, if necessary, under the ground of a legitimate interest (Article 6 (1f) of the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (GDPR) and in compliance with the legal obligations imposed on the Volkswagen Group by Regulation (EU) 2018/858 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

As well as in other cases, when your personal data is processed for the purpose of providing it to the Volkswagen Group, you can exercise your rights as a data subject - to object to the processing of personal data, to request the deletion of personal data, correction of inaccurate data, etc.). In order to exercise the above rights, you must first contact us, Voltas IT, and we will forward your request to the Volkswagen Group.

Detailed information on how the Volkswagen Group can process your personal data can be found here

We will inform you each time when there is a change in the Volkswagen Group's data processing rules (as far as the processing of your personal data is concerned).