Volkswagen’s Diesel Emissions Crisis Now Includes 11 Million Vehicles Worldwide
WOLFSBURG, Germany – About 11 million Volkswagen vehicles worldwide are now included in the German automaker’s diesel emissions crisis, Volkswagen AG announced on Tuesday.
The automaker did not provide an updated list of affected vehicles.
In the meantime, Edmunds urges owners of any affected Volkswagen and Audi vehicles to be patient and wait for further information before taking any action.
“Until Volkswagen reveals a plan for how they will either buy back the cars or fix them so that they truly meet emissions standards, all affected owners will have to wait and see,” said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds.com director of industry analysis.
The EPA on Friday said an investigation showed the emissions-control software in some Volkswagen and Audi’s U.S. diesel vehicles, including the 2015 Audi A3 and 2014-’15 Volkswagen Passat, violated U.S. clean air rules by using a so-called “defeat device.”
In Tuesday’s statement, Volkswagen AG said it is “working at full speed to clarify irregularities concerning a particular software used in diesel engines.”
It also said it is allocating some 6.5 billion Euros or $7.3 billion in the third quarter to “cover the necessary service measures and other efforts to win back the trust of our customers.”
The EPA on Friday said Volkswagen and Audi had allegedly skirted federal emissions requirements in roughly 482,000 diesel vehicles in the U.S. since 2009 by using software that circumvents emissions testing for certain air pollutants.
The VW cars under investigation emit up to 40 times the national standard for nitrogen oxide, which is linked to asthma and lung illnesses, the EPA said.
The vehicles include the 2009-’15 Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Beetle, Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf and 2014-’15 Volkswagen Passat.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee late Monday announced it would hold a hearing into how Volkswagen skirted U.S. laws by selling diesel cars that evade emissions tests.
“We are concerned that auto consumers may have been deceived – that what they were purchasing did not come as advertised,” said Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA) in a statement. “The American people deserve answers and assurances that this will not happen again. We intend to get those answers.”
Owners of the affected vehicles continue to grapple with a long list of unanswered questions.
“The good news for these owners is that there is no imminent safety threat in driving these vehicles,” Caldwell said. “Of course, owners who bought these diesel vehicles in part because of any environmental benefits may have moral objections to driving them, and they may feel they have no other option but to keep their cars parked for the time being.
“And then there are owners who just feel flat-out deceived and will want their money back.”
Consumers are advised to refrain from selling their TDI vehicle. Those who must trade in the vehicle in the short term can expect a lower value because of the additional short-term risk incurred by the dealer.
Edmunds says: The best advice at this point is for owners of these cars to refrain from reacting to news by selling their vehicle. Volkswagen is scrambling to address this crisis before losing its customer base.
