When Volkswagen admitted to rigging millions of supposedly “clean diesel” vehicles to cheat on emissions tests, the carmaker claimed that only a few engineers knew these “defeat devices” were in place. However, new lawsuits filed by three states allege that VW execs knew of the chicanery, and that the car company was committing fraud for nearly a decade. [More]
Emissions Scandal
Report: VW To Pay $10.2B To Settle Emissions Issues
By 6.23.16
It doesn’t pay to cheat. That’s the lesson Volkswagen will likely learn next Tuesday, when the (extended) deadline expires for filing a final settlement agreement to resolve its use of emissions-cheating “defeat devices” in more than 500,000 vehicles in the U.S. According to one report, VW’s “clean diesel” debacle will cost the carmaker $10.2 billion. [More]
Volkswagen Gets More Time To Sort Out Buy-Back/Fix Plan For Cheating Diesels
By 6.16.16
In April, Volkswagen and federal regulators came to a proposed settlement agreement that would see the embattled carmaker offer to buy back hundreds of thousands of vehicles equipped with emissions-cheating “defeat devices.” However, that plan was still far from final, and didn’t explain how VW would actually fix these cars. The court had given the company and the government until June 21 to reach a final agreement, but now that deadline has been extended — just the latest extension for the carmaker that admitted to using emissions-cheating software in more than 11 million vehicles worldwide. [More]
VW’s Emissions-Cheating Scandal Could Cost Carmaker More Than $18B
By 4.28.16
It doesn’t pay to cheat. That’s the moral of Volkswagen’s ongoing emissions-cheating scandal after the carmaker announced Thursday that its tab for fixing vehicles, compensating owners, and paying fines to federal regulators in the U.S. could exceed the $18 billion previously earmarked to address the scandal. [More]
Would $5,000 Make You Forget That Your VW Car Exceeds Emission Standards?
By 4.20.16
With only one day to go before Volkswagen is supposed to present a workable fix for more than 500,000 diesel vehicles equipped with “defeat devices” designed to cheat emission standards, the carmaker has reportedly reached a deal with U.S. regulators that includes the company paying billions of dollars to compensate owners. [More]
VW Dealers Sue Carmaker For Fraud Over Emissions-Cheating Diesels
By 4.6.16
A week after the Federal Trade Commission sued Volkswagen for deceptively advertising “clean diesel” cars equipped with “defeat device” software to cheat on emissions tests, the carmaker finds itself on the receiving end of another big lawsuit — this time from its own dealers, who accuse VW of intentionally defrauding them.
VW Buyback Plan Seems More Likely As Company Struggles To Find Fix For Emission-Cheating Vehicles
By 1.29.16
Since Volkswagen admitted last year to using “defeat devices” in certain cars to cheat on emissions tests, some owners and consumer advocates have pushed for the carmaker to buy back affected vehicles from customers. VW had resisted this idea, but without any other resolution in the offing, a mass buyback offer is beginning to look possible.
[More]
VW Expands “Goodwill Package” To Include 3-Liter Vehicles That Evade Emissions Standards
By 1.12.16
Back in November, Volkswagen announced a “goodwill package” of cash and credit intended to placate some owners of supposed “clean diesel” cars that were rigged to cheat emissions tests. Now the company is expanding this offer to include owners of 3-liter diesel cars from VW, Audi, and Porsche. [More]
Volkswagen CEO: We Are Not Crooks
By 1.11.16
While Volkswagen is currently the target of numerous civil lawsuits — including one filed last week by the federal government — there is still the possibility VW could face criminal charges. But the company’s CEO contends that no real crime was actually committed. [More]
VW Reportedly Considering Buying Back More Than 50,000 Emissions-Cheating Cars In The U.S.
By 1.8.16
Volkswagen may buy back tens of thousands of vehicles in the United States if the company can’t find an easy way to remove “defeat devices” that allow the cars to evade emissions standards. [More]
Volkswagen Reportedly Having Trouble Finding “Defeat Device” Fix
By 1.5.16
Just a day after the Department of Justice filed a potential multibillion-dollar civil lawsuit against Volkswagen for installing so-called “defeat devices” in vehicles to skirt federal emissions standards, a new report says that the German automaker has run into difficulties finding a fix for the nearly 500,000 affected “clean diesel” cars in the U.S. [More]
U.S. Files Civil Lawsuit Against Volkswagen Over Emissions Scandal
By 1.4.16
It may be a new year, but that doesn’t mean Volkswagen can wash its hands of the ongoing diesel emissions scandal affecting 11 million vehicles. Today, the U.S. Dept. of Justice filed a civil lawsuit against the carmaker over its use of “defeat devices” to cheat on emissions tests.
VW Claims Carbon Dioxide Emission Issue Only Affects 36,000 Vehicles, Not 800,000
By 12.9.15
In early November, Volkswagen added to its mounting emissions scandal by announcing that an internal investigation had found that nearly 800,000 vehicles may have issues with carbon dioxide emissions resulting in inflated fuel efficiency. But now, the carmaker says its was all just a big misunderstanding: only a fraction of those cars are actually affected. [More]
Report: VW Knew About Fuel Efficiency Discrepancies A Year Ago
By 11.30.15
Earlier this month, Volkswagen announced that an internal investigation into the carmaker’s use of “defeat devices” to evade emission standards in nearly 11 million vehicles worldwide uncovered a second issue: nearly 800,000 cars included understated levels of carbon monoxide emissions and rule usage. But a new report puts the timing of the finding into question, with some sources claiming executives with the car manufacturer knew of the problem more than a year ago. [More]
Lawmakers Call For VW To Buy Back Emission-Cheating Cars At Pre-Scandal Value
By 11.19.15
Despite nearly a quarter of the 482,000 owners of Volkswagen vehicles equipped with “defeat devices” accepting a “goodwill package” of $1,000 in cash and credits for their troubles, lawmakers said on Thursday that the carmaker needs to do more – namely buy back the automobiles that violate federal air pollution emission standards. [More]
VW Offers Amnesty To Whistleblower Employees, But Only For A Few Weeks
By 11.12.15
A week after an internal investigation – aided by company engineers – uncovered carbon emissions issues with 800,000 Volkswagen vehicles, the carmaker says it will keep the door open for employees to share any cheating within the organization – as long as they do it by the end of the month. [More]
Volkswagen Offers $1,000 in Cash, Credits To Owners Of Deceptive Diesels
By 11.9.15
Volkswagen, in an apparent attempt to alleviate the strained relationship with hundreds of thousands of consumers still waiting to hear just how the carmaker plans to fix their “clean diesel” vehicles rigged to cheat emissions tests, is offering those owners $1,000 in cash and credits. [More]
Volkswagen To Announce Emissions Fix Plans In “Next Few Days”
By 9.29.15
Since the Environmental Protection Agency revealed earlier this month that Volkswagen had rigged its so-called “clean diesel” vehicles to cheat on emissions tests, owners of the approximately 11 million cars affected by this trickery have been waiting to find out when they might hear something other than apologies from the German carmaker. [More]
