Volkswagen AG - SFD(2) / UNCE - Protection of car diagnosis
| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Release Year | 2024 |
| Product Type | Inbuilt diagnosis filter for cars |
| In Production | Yes |
| Official Website | https://privacy.volkswagen.com/download/get-document-content/57b3edcf-a670-4cfc-87b5-f6afd70f3bb2 |
SFD(2) - Schutz der Fahrzeugdiagnose roughly translates to Protection of car diagnosis and is a system from Volkswagen AG designed to protect software-controlled vehicle functions from unauthorized access and manipulation.[1]
Access to the cars control units is secured in such a way that only users with a valid, personal account in the SFD backend of Volkswagen AG or in the system of the respective diagnostic system provider are authorized. In addition, all accesses to SFD-protected control units are individually logged via the SFD backend of Volkswagen AG to ensure traceability at a later stage.[1]
Origin of SFD[edit | edit source]
SFD(2) stems from UNECE regulations (Addendum 154 – UN Regulation No. 155, Addendum 155 – UN Regulation No. 156) which were adopted by the UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations on June 24, 2020.[2]
Since July 2022, these rules have applied to all newly registered model series of passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks, and buses. Starting July 1, 2024, the regulations will apply to all newly manufactured vehicles, regardless of whether they are new or existing models.[2]
If SFD(2) is enabled, any unauthorized attempt to access one of the car’s engine control units will result in an timeout error message.[2]
Consumer impact summary[edit | edit source]
User freedom[edit | edit source]
- Restricted access: Only authorized users can access or modify key vehicle systems; independent mechanics and owners will be locked out from any kind of repair which requires interacting with the cars ECU.
- Dealer dependence: Owners are forced to rely on Volkswagen dealerships (or VW authorized repair centers) for repairs and updates, leading to higher costs and less flexibility.
- Aftermarket barriers: DIY and independent repairs or upgrades are blocked, even for simple tasks.
- Privacy concerns: All access is logged, raising data privacy issues.
- Ownership issues: SFD limits what owners can do with their cars, challenging the right to repair.
Business model[edit | edit source]
SFD(2) protection can be bypassed by purchasing an unlock token which only can be used in the dealer specific software. A single token is available for $50 USD. Each activation token is uniquely assigned to a specific control unit and is valid for a single use only.[3]
During Guided Fault Finding procedures, SFD-protected control units are automatically re-locked at the conclusion of the diagnostic session. If this does not occur, the system will automatically re-lock the control unit 90 minutes after activation.[3]
Affected car models from Volkswagen AG[edit | edit source]
The following is a list of Volkswagen AG car models known to be affected by the restrictions.[4]
Audi[edit | edit source]
- Audi A1 (GB) from approx. production date March 2024
- Audi A3 (8Y) from model year 2025
- Audi A4 (8W) from model year 2024
- Audi A4 Avant (F4) from model year 2024
- Audi A5 (F5) from model year 2024
- Audi A6 (4A) from model year 2024
- Audi A6 Avant (F2) from model year 2024
- Audi A7 (4K) from model year 2024
- Audi A8 (4N) from model year 2024
- Audi Q2 (GA) from approx. production date March 2024
- Audi Q3 (F3) from approx. production date March 2024
- Audi Q4 (F4) from approx. production date November 2024
- Audi Q5 (FY) from model year 2024
- Audi Q7 (4M) from approx. production start August 2023
- Audi Q8 (4M) from approx. production start August 2023
- Audi Q8 e-tron (GE) from model year 2024
- Audi e-tron GT (FW) from model year 2024
- Audi e-tron GT (F8) from model year 2024
Volkswagen[edit | edit source]
- VW Arteon (3H) from model year 2024
- VW Crafter (SY) from model year 2025
- VW Caddy (SB) from model year 2025
- VW Golf 8 (CD), (CG) from approx. production start April 2024
- VW Passat (B9) from model year 2024
- VW Polo (AE1) from approx. production start March 2024
- VW T-Cross (D31)
- VW Touran (5T) from approx. production start March 2024
- VW T-Roc (D11, AC8) from approx. production start March 2024
- VW Taigo (CS) from approx. production start March 2024
- VW Tiguan ALLSPACE (BJ2) from approx. production start February 2024
- VW Tiguan (CT) from model year 2024
- VW Touareg RC
- VW Touareg (CR) from model year 2024
- VW T7 (ST) from model year 2025
- VW ID3 (E12) from model year 2025
- VW ID4 (E21) from approx. production start January 2024
- VW ID5 (E39) from approx. production start January 2024
- VW ID.7 (ED) from model year 2024
- VW ID Buzz (EB) from model year 2025
Seat / Cupra[edit | edit source]
- Seat Arona (KJ7) from approx. production start February 2024
- Seat Ateca (KBP, KHP) with PR-No.: NI7
- Seat Born (K11) from model year 2025
- Seat Formentor (KM7) from model year 2025
- Seat Ibiza (KJ1) from approx. production start February 2024
- Seat Leon (KL) from model year 2025
- Seat Leon (KU) from model year 2025
Skoda[edit | edit source]
- Skoda Enyaq (5A) with PR-No.: NI1 or NI9
- Skoda Fabia (PJ) from model year 2024
- Skoda Fabia (6P) from model year 2024
- Skoda Kamiq (NW) from model year 2024
- Skoda Kamiq (NW4) from approx. production start January 2024
- Skoda Scala (NW1) from approx. production date January 2024
- Skoda Karoq (NU) from approx. production date March 2024
- Skoda Octavia (NX) with PR-No.: GP1
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Volkswagen AG (1 Jul 2021). "Schutz der Fahrzeugdiagnose - Nutzungsbedingungen" (in Deutsch). Archived from the original on 4 Mar 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sekurit Service (31 May 2025). "Erweiterter CYBER-SECURITY-SCHUTZ (SFD2/UNECE) bei VAG-Fahrzeugen ab Modelljahr 2024" (PDF) (in Deutsch). Retrieved 30 May 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 VAGupdate (31 May 2025). "SFD Token". Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ↑ PCI-Diagnose-Technik GmbH & Co. KG (31 May 2025). "SFD2 / UNECE - Erweiterter SFD Schutz" (in Deutsch). Retrieved 31 May 2025.