There is some confusion about buy-back cars being titled in MI. All buy-back cars are titled in MI because VW's tech services are all in Ann Arbor, MI. The cars are not shipped to MI to do this. VW has holding areas all over the country, including the site of the old Pontiac Superdome so there are some cars in MI. VW has regional sites to bring cars into compliance that are going to be sold back.
After my 2014 car was sold back to VW, it was shipped to the holding lot at the shuttered Mitsubishi auto plant in Bloomington/Normal, IL. Then it was shipped to who ever has the contract to crush cars in the region.
When my son bought his buy-back 2015 Passat SEL TDI, the car was originally bought in the Phoenix area, sold back to VW at one of the Phoenix dealerships, upgraded locally, and sold back locally. The car had a MI title but never left the Phoenix area.
Some more VW trivia: VW of NA HQ was in Ann Arbor, MI until 2007. This location covered both US and Canadian markets. Then VW decided to split the US and Canadian operations. VW opened a new US HQ in Herndon, VA, and the Canadian HQ was moved to Ajax, ON.
The Herndon, VA location is the corporate HQ, sales, product planning, marketing, call center, warranty center, and VW Credit. The Ann Arbor location handles all engineering and tech services. So this is how the separation works, when customers call VW and complain about whatever, the calls goes to Herndon. Dealership tech support calls all go to Ann Arbor.
Drive more and worry less.
