This is what initially soured me on VW 2-3 years ago when my RNS500 failed and the screen went black. The radio has one part number so you have to buy a whole unit if your unit craps the bed. Mine, like many made at the time, had a defective LCD control board but VW won't let you buy the board or send the unit in for repair. It was "sorry, buy the new unit and kiss our a$$". I escalated it up the chain at VWoA and Continental and no one wanted to help me. I ended up buying one from some guy in Germany at half off (still ~$1000) and it ended up working out but the whole concept is so ridiculous.
This Dieselgate is nice comeuppance in my mind. I hope Continental is next.