EPA vs VW/AUDI TDIs

[QUBE5]

But then it becomes a question of damages...how exactly where those owners "damaged" by their vehicles emitting more pollution than advertised? For instance, can a single consumer demonstrate they have breathing problems or other illnesses caused by the pollutants admitted from their specific vehicle? I'm not saying all of these vehicles in the aggregate don't effect air quality but I don't think I've suffered any health damage due my own TDI, at least I hope not!

CARB, EPA, and DOJ all believe that the excessive emissions, which were produced from VW's TDIs, did have a impact on the public's health and that those health impacts are quantifiable. Back when the scandal first broke there were several articles which focused on how they could measure the damages and its impact on the planet and public.

Here is an article from Fortune which describes how one could measure that info: http://fortune.com/2015/09/30/volksw...-consequences/

In crimes against the environment, it’s sometimes difficult to calculate who is affected and how substantial the damages are. However, it is possible to estimate the damages, based on our understanding of the atmosphere and of how pollutants affect human health.

My analysis shows that Volkswagen’s deception — which resulted in emissions 30 to 40 times allowable levels when driving — could exceed $100 million in economic costs from health damages. This staggering sum hints at the scope of the consequences of just one case of corporate cheating.

.....

The statute of limitations defense will fail miserably. You cannot hide something and then use the SOL as a shield. Most courts will impose an extension of the SOL from a date when a litigant, "knew or should have known about the fraud." Since VW only recently admitted their fraud and that they actively sought to conceal it, they will not be entitled to benefit from the SOL.

The defense VW has employed isn't really intended to be used to defend the company's actions over the diesel emissions scandal, but it is instead merely a last ditch effort to delay the proceedings as long as they can. Basically, VW is trying to use any technicality which they can to justify buying more time, the same way a criminal defense attorney will use anything they can to delay the court proceedings to buy their client more time against a long prison sentence or death penalty. VW and its legal team know exactly what they're doing, and so far it has been working for them because they've gotten the extra time they have requested. Hopefully, Breyer will eventually put an end to these tactics so the settlement can get finalized.

[QUBE5]

VW and Audi are facing more issues in Korea over the diesel emissions scandal....

http://pulsenews.co.kr/view.php?year=2016&no=396902

The South Korean prosecution has confiscated hundreds of Audi and Volkswagen vehicles as part of its investigation into Audi Volkswagen Korea, the Korean unit of a German carmaker Volkswagen AG, on emission and fuel-efficiency rigging allegations.

......

______________________________________


Volvo's CEO thinks that diesels will require significantly more maintenance after the diesel emissions scandal is resolved...

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1...even-in-europe

“Diesels will be more expensive, they will have much more advanced after-treatment with additional fluids that have to be filled not once a year, but probably every time you refuel the car,” he explained.

[QUBE5]

Italy's transportation minister said today that Fiat has passed emissions compliance tests, which were performed due to the allegations of emissions cheating by German authorities for vehicles sold in Germany....

http://www.reuters.com/article/italy...-idUSKCN0YT22I

"There were no illegal devices found on diesel models by other carmakers except for those Volkswagen models already identified," Delrio said in Luxembourg. His comments were confirmed by a spokesman in Rome.

Fiat cars showed "full compliance with emissions procedures" during tests "done while driving, and we excluded any misleading procedures", he said.

______________________________________


Germany now wants the EU to change a "loophole" for vehicle emissions in the EU....

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...auto-emissions

Germany wants the European Union to tighten a loophole in vehicle-emissions rules that allowed carmakers to reduce pollution controls in certain conditions, part of the heightened scrutiny in the wake of Volkswagen AG’s diesel-cheating scandal.

European regulations allow automakers to adjust exhaust systems for safety reasons, but after testing more than 50 models, Germany doubts that such controls “could be fully and solely justified by the need for engine protection,” the country’s Transport Ministry said in a document prepared for a Tuesday EU meeting obtained by Bloomberg.

As a result, Germany wants the EU to add a clause saying that automakers need to explore the “best available technologies” before being allowed to turn off emissions controls to protect the vehicle. “Wording this exception more precisely would increase legal certainty,” the ministry said.

______________________________________


A TDI owner in the Republic of Ireland is suing VW over the diesel emissions scandal...

http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0607/793...stlebar-court/

Volkswagen has been ordered to disclose information regarding emissions in respect of a car owned by a motorist in Roscommon.

______________________________________


South Korea is now charging Nissan with emissions cheating as well....

http://www.japantoday.com/category/c...over-emissions

The environment ministry called on state prosecutors to probe Nissan Korea after saying tests had shown an emission defeat system on the Qashqai model that made it appear to be less polluting than it really was.

It also banned the sale of the vehicle in the country.

Senior environment ministry official Hong Dong-Kon, who handles transport-related regulations, told journalists: “Today, we’re going to file a criminal complaint” against Nissan Korea’s President Takehiko Kikuchi.

Last month Japan’s number-two carmaker was hit with 330 million won ($280,000) fine and Seoul said it would recall hundreds of Qashqais after the tests.

______________________________________


On Friday, German authorities approved a fix for ONLY 2.0L TDIs sold in Europe.....

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...for-passat-fix

Volkswagen AG received approval from German regulators to recall rigged Passat sedans about three months after repairs were slated to start, clearing a hurdle in the automaker’s efforts to emerge from the emissions-cheating scandal.

The regulator, KBA, signed off on a fix for Passats, CC coupes and Eos convertibles, the Wolfsburg, Germany-based company said in a statement. More than 800,000 vehicles in Germany are now ready to be recalled in a process that Volkswagen is seeking to largely complete this year.

[QUBE5]

German authorities are investigating VW over allegations of destroying evidence (data) prior to disclosing to US authorities of using defeat devices in vehicles sold in the US....


http://www.reuters.com/article/uk-vo...-idUKKCN0YU2CI

German prosecutors are investigating whether Volkswagen employees deleted data that could be harmful to the company for a week before the carmaker admitted to U.S. authorities that it had cheated diesel-emissions tests, a group of German media outlets reported on Wednesday.

Broadcasters NDR and WDR and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, which are reporting jointly on the case, said prosecutors in Braunschweig, near Volkswagen's headquarters, said they were investigating the issue.

______________________________________


South Korean prosecutors stated yesterday that they have enough evidence against VW to prove that VW falsified documents in order to import vehicles into South Korea which didn't comply with emissions regulations....


http://pulsenews.co.kr/view.php?sc=3...2016&no=414015

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors` Office said on Wednesday that they have sufficient evidence that German carmaker Volkswagen handed as many as 48 fabricated materials to Korean authorities to cheat out of emissions data on its car shipments.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, prosecutors said 48 out of the carmakers’ emission tests on its cars to sell in Korea submitted to the Korea Energy Agency under the environment ministry between June 2012 and October 2014 had been falsified.

According to its findings, Audi Volkswagen Korea tampered with 26 types of emissions performance reports received from its German headquarters by distorting test dates and using test results of other cars for ones that skipped testing.

Problematic vehicles include Golf 2.0 TDI, which have passed Europe`s emission standards, known as Euro 5. These vehicles were sold from 2011 in Korea.

Prosecutors said the carmaker hurriedly imported the vehicles without going through time-consuming procedures to meet the customers` demand, adding they are expanding investigation based on the possibility of similar offenses in other models.

Depending on the results of the ongoing investigations, Volkswagen may face additional charges of falsification of private documents and obstruction of justice.

______________________________________


South Korean authorities have rejected VW's recall plan for the third time (1st rejection in Jan 2016, 2nd rejection in March 2016) and now are demanding that VW start all over again on a completely new recall plan for vehicles impacted by the diesel emissions scandal....


http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news...16_206403.html

South Korea's environment ministry said Tuesday it has again rejected Volkswagen's plan to recall its vehicles that fabricated emissions results, saying the local unit of the German carmaker did not admit to using a defeat device to trick vehicle testing.

The Ministry of Environment disapproved the plan submitted by Audi Volkswaen Korea for not stipulating that the vehicles were equipped with what are called defeat devices, designed to manipulate emissions results.

The carmaker's initial recall measures submitted in January were rejected by the ministry for insufficient data and no proper outline to rectify the shortcomings of the vehicles affected.

The second plan submitted in March was also rejected for insufficient information provided, with the ministry ordering supplemental details.

Now that the plan faces disapproval, Volkswagen needs to start the recall process all over again.

[QUBE5]

The Wall Street Journal has more details about the German investigation into the allegations that VW deleted data relating to the diesel emissions scandal....

http://www.wsj.com/articles/german-p...obe-1465498805

German prosecutors are investigating a member of Volkswagen AG’s legal team who is suspected of encouraging other employees to destroy or remove documents in the weeks before U.S. authorities disclosed that the German car maker had rigged diesel engines to cheat on emissions tests.

______________________________________


German authorities approved VW's recall/remedy for impacted European 2.0L TDI EA189 vehicles....


http://europe.autonews.com/article/2...on-diesel-cars

Germany's motor vehicle authority KBA has approved fixes for VW brand models, VW commercial vehicles and Audi luxury cars including the Tiguan SUV and Caddy model with 2.0-liter TDI EA 189 engines, the automaker said.

VW said the KBA has confirmed that the fixes would not result in any changes to fuel consumption, performance or noise emissions of the affected cars.

The latest approval follows the KBA's ratification last week of technical solutions for more than 800,000 of the 8.5 million VW cars affected by its diesel-emissions scandal in Europe.

Affected vehicles with 1.6-liter and 1.2-liter diesel engines will be fixed later this year, VW has said.

[QUBE5]

USA Today has a new editorial which argues that the US Government should make an example out of VW by punishing them with severe penalties for the diesel emissions scandal...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...lumn/85165552/

Volkswagen should compensate the owners of cars it fixes for the years they drove polluting vehicles and for any degraded post-repair performance. Owners of the cars that VW buys back (which it should scrap to avoid further air pollution) should be paid the original purchase price, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s standard on the rare occasions when it removes newer models from the road.

Of course, VW may fail to repair some cars or to convince some owners to sell back their smog machines. And even scrapping the cars carries environmental costs. So, the automaker must counter ongoing pollution.

To eliminate the flaws that let VW get away with cheating for half a decade, EPA and the California agency should expand their vehicle lab tests, conduct robust tests on the road and stop relying on automakers’ conducting their own road tests, even with government spot checks. The agencies should also examine cars’ computer codes to detect cheating.

The industry’s history demonstrates that VW’s shameful deceit isn’t new. The government must punish the German automaker far more than past cheaters to ensure that we clean up the industry as well as the air.

[QUBE5]

On Sunday, The Guardian published an article which discussed a joint investigation between the French, German, and UK governments into the diesel emissions scandal which found that TDIs emitted more pollution in colder weather....

https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...pollutionwatch

The VW group car did not recognise this as a test and failed, the other cars still passed. This is good news, but when driven in the same way outside, nitrogen oxides in the exhaust doubled in 33 of the 38 cars and some emitted over five times more. It seemed that the colder the weather, the more exhaust pollution.

To examine this, the German investigation included the standard laboratory test, but at 10C instead of the normal 20-30C. Less than 20% of the cars passed. This temperature anomaly had also been noticed in tests on seven cars in Norway last year. The extra pollution was not connected with the engine starting in the cold.

Manufacturers responded that the exhaust clean-up was restricted when driving in colder weather to protect the engine from condensation, but the International Council on Clean Transport concluded that this is unnecessary until temperatures drop below 5C.

[QUBE5]

The June 21st Deadline was extended today for one week (Now June 28th 2016 is the Deadline) ...

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vo...-idUSKCN0Z12VI

A U.S. judge late on Wednesday extended the deadline for Volkswagen AG, U.S. government regulators and owners of nearly 500,000 2.0 liter vehicles to reach a final diesel emissions settlement until June 28.

The tentative settlement announced in April includes an offer by VW to buy back nearly 500,000 polluting vehicles, as well as an environmental remediation fund to address excess emissions and a fund to promote green automotive technology.

In April, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer set a June 21 deadline to publicly file the final settlement but in the Wednesday order he agreed to extend the deadline by one week to complete the complex agreement.

Breyer said in a written order he was extending the deadline at the request of former FBI director Robert S. Mueller, who has been acting as the court-appointed mediator, and "given the highly technical nature of the proposed settlements in these complex proceedings."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California Air Resources Board, U.S. Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and lawyers representing owners have been working for weeks to hammer out the final agreements.

Two sources briefed on the talks say the agreement is still on track to be finalized.

VW spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan noted that the delay was at the request of the FBI's Mueller. "We thank our customers for their continued patience as the process of finalizing agreements moves forward," she said.

The settlement also will include an option to eventually get cars repaired if regulators approve a fix. Owners will get "substantial monetary compensation," Breyer said in April.

In April, Volkswagen said it would set aside 16.2 billion euros ($18.2 billion) and slash its dividend to cover the costs from Dieselgate -- including nearly 8 billion euros to cover buying back and fixing polluting vehicles.

The initial settlement to be announced later this month is not expected to address about 80,000 larger VW, Audi and Porsche 3.0 liter vehicles with separate undisclosed software that allowed vehicles to emit up to nine times legally allowable pollution. Those vehicles are expected to be addressed at a later date.

Another issue that won't be resolved until later is how much VW will pay in fines for admitting to violating the Clean Air Act, sources said. The EPA said in September 2015 that VW could face up to $18 billion in fines for installing the cheating software.

The Court Order:http://cand.uscourts.gov/filelibrary...g_Deadline.pdf

[QUBE5]

Germany's equivalent to the US's SEC, Bafin, has requested that German prosecutors investigate former VW CEO Winterkorn, over how the former CEO and VW's management handled the diesel emissions scandal disclosure to the public....

http://in.reuters.com/article/volksw...-idINL8N19D2LO

Germany's financial watchdog has called on prosecutors to investigate Volkswagen's entire former management board over the time it took to disclose the carmaker's emissions test cheating, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The complaint filed by Bafin with prosecutors in Braunschweig is a blow for Volkswagen (VW) Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch and CEO Matthias Mueller, who were both members of the management board - as finance chief and head of the Porsche brand respectively - when the emissions scandal broke.

The prosecutors in Braunschweig, near VW's Wolfsburg headquarters, said on Monday they were investigating former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn and a second unidentified executive over whether they effectively manipulated markets by delaying the release of information about the firm's emissions test cheating.

The person familiar with the matter said Bafin believed the entire former management board should be held collectively responsible for how the scandal was communicated to markets.

[hiphawpdrunkie]

The latest suggests that VW will pay owners anywhere between $1k and $7k in damages for their polluting 2.0L diesels, with complete buyouts only for certain cars that would be too costly or impossible to repair. Apparently a decent chunk of the $10bn settlement is going to be earmarked for regulators concerned with environmental damage.

Reading the tea leaves here, I'm guessing that the 3.0L's will get a fraction of what the larger population of 2.0L owners will receive, if we get anything at all over a technical fix, and we won't get any clarity for another few months at a minimum. I really hope this isn't going to be the case, but it's starting to seem as though the Audi and Porsche 3.0L TDI owners will absorb the brunt of the loss associated with the decreased value in these higher priced cars.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[QUBE5]

Reuters reported similar details this morning, but there is still no official word on the settlement as of right now.

http://www.reuters.com/article/autos/idUSKCN0Z9235?il=0

However, the average $5k payout (currently being reported for 2.0L TDI owners) is not nearly enough for impacted 3.0L TDI owners, so hopefully they bump that up, otherwise 3.0L TDI owners are the ones seriously being screwed by VW's cheating. We'll have to wait and see, but Audi has definitely not stepped up to the plate and made 3.0L TDI owners whole as of yet and so far it doesn't look like it will.

[martian421]

Replying to this thread to receive updates

[QUBE5]

Arizonans are one step closer to having their case against VW, over the diesel emissions scandal, heard by an Arizona Court after a judge ruled that a federal court isn't required, despite VW's argument that a federal court should be the venue for the case....

http://www.yourwestvalley.com/busine...5ee097220.html

Brnovich filed suit earlier this year claiming VW had "engaged in deceptive and unfair business practices.'' The lawsuit also says state consumer fraud laws were violated in the "advertising, marketing, selling and leasing'' of these vehicles.

VW had the case transferred to federal court, arguing there were federal issues that only a federal court could resolve. Key to that, company attorneys said, is whether the state can prove its vehicles were violated federal emissions standards.

Silver, however, said that's not true, saying VW's arguments "represent a form of wishful thinking.''

"But alas, wishing something to be true does not make it so,'' she said.

"Arizona could prevail on this (consumer fraud) claim even if it were to drop all mentions of federal law, regulations, and standards from its complaint and case strategy,'' the judge wrote. "In fact, Arizona could prevail even if the federal law, regulations, and standards had never existed.''

Put simply, she said, the Arizona case is built on VW advertising its diesel vehicles as "clean, green and good for the environment.''

She said the state consumer fraud laws require only a showing that a company's statements "had the tendency and capacity to convey misleading impressions.'' That, said Silver, makes the case all about what VW said to customers and potential customers, not about whether what was coming out of tailpipes violated federal emission standards.

In the lawsuit, Brnovich says potentially 4,000 Arizonans were effectively duped into buying vehicles with a special diesel engine that was advertised as having just a fraction of the emissions as similar cars. Buyers paid anywhere from $1,000 to $7,000 more than comparable vehicles.

Brnovich said there's a specific reason he is suing under the state's consumer fraud laws instead of environmental statutes.

That starts with the fact Arizona's consumer fraud laws have a maximum penalty of $10,000 per violation. That means a potential penalty of $40 million, even before he seeks restitution for the buyers who paid for the benefit of lower polluting vehicles that they did not get.

But Brnovich also pointed out Arizona laws also make false advertising a violation. And he said that makes each ad and each commercial run in the state a separate offense.

______________________________________


On Friday, South Korea issued an arrest warrant for a VW executive over the diesel emissions scandal...

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vo...-idUSKCN0ZA01D

A South Korean court on Friday issued the first warrant for the arrest of a Volkswagen AG executive in connection with its cheating of vehicle emissions tests, in another blow to the German automaker's efforts to move on from the scandal.

The warrant is the first to be levelled against a Volkswagen executive anywhere in the world after the firm in September admitted to using software to falsify pollution tests on some diesel cars, spurring legal action in the United States, Germany, South Korea and elsewhere.

______________________________________


Today, the European Industry Commissioner stated that VW should compensate European TDI owners as well...

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vo...-idUSKCN0ZC04U

Volkswagen AG should offer European drivers similar compensation to what the German carmaker is expected to pay U.S. customers, Europe's Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska told a newspaper on Sunday.

"Volkswagen should voluntarily pay European car owners compensation that is comparable with that which they will pay U.S. consumers," Bienkowska told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

______________________________________


The New York Times published an article today, which discusses the upcoming settlement and some of the feedback owners have provided about it....

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/27/bu...ment.html?_r=0

The issues that Tuesday’s settlement proposal is not expected to cover include how Volkswagen will repair its cars — a technical fix that is still being worked out. Nor will the deal address terms for the owners of 85,000 Volkswagen and Porsche cars sold in the United States that had a different type of diesel engine but also had emissions problems.

The varied attitudes of car owners, meanwhile, has also complicated negotiations. Owners are likely to be given the option of having Volkswagen buy back their vehicles or, if possible, fix them. Either way, they would also receive additional compensation of at least several thousand dollars.

Still, some car owners may choose not to participate in the group settlement being brokered in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and instead pursue separate claims. Affected Volkswagen owners are not bound by the settlement, and some of them may decide to press for even better terms; those owners, however, also risk getting a lesser settlement or none at all if their separate lawsuits are unsuccessful.

Marjorie Hodges Shaw of Rochester, N.Y., is a plaintiff in the class-action suit. But she is not sure the settlement will address her grievances. Ms. Shaw previously owned a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI. She traded in her Jetta for a Subaru Forester — taking a loss, she says — soon after she found out that her Volkswagen had been a far worse polluter than she had imagined. The automotive website Edmunds.com recently showed that similar model-year Subaru Foresters were selling for about $4,000 less than Jetta SportWagens.

Ms. Shaw wants Volkswagen to fully own up to its fraud. And she wants to be fully compensated for her loss, including the time and cost of finding a replacement vehicle.

“I thought it was clean diesel,” said Ms. Shaw, who is an assistant professor in law and bioethics at the University of Rochester Medical Center School of Medicine and Dentistry. But once she learned of Volkswagen’s deception, she said, “I couldn’t continue to drive the car and think of myself as an environmentalist.”

Two people involved in the class-action negotiations declined to discuss ahead of Tuesday’s court session whether Ms. Shaw would be compensated under the settlement, because she no longer owned her Volkswagen, or how her compensation might be calculated. They stressed, however, that the parties had discussed a wide range of possibilities in painstaking detail.

For negotiators on both sides, the talks have been all-consuming in recent months.

“All of you have devoted substantial efforts, weekends, nights and days, and perhaps at sacrifice to your family — right?” Judge Breyer said when the parties last assembled before him in May, eliciting sardonic chuckles and exasperated sighs. Last week the judge extended his original June 21 settlement deadline by a week to give the negotiators time they said they needed to complete their work.

[hiphawpdrunkie]

According to Bloomberg, the proposed settlement framework that will be filed with the court tomorrow will bring VW's settlement costs to north of $15bn, which is significantly higher than the initial $10bn that was initially forecasted. Bloomberg is suggesting that the increase is due to a higher payout for the existing 2.0L TDI population, but I'm crossing my fingers that we 3.0L TDI folks will be addressed in the proposed framework.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[QUBE5]

Hiphawpdrunkie,

Don't get your hopes up. I'm pretty sure the 3.0L TDIs won't be included in tomorrow's settlement, but we may hear more about the 3.0L TDIs at the June 30th "status conference". All the news agencies are suggesting that tomorrow's settlement won't include the 3.0L TDIs, but will focus on the 2.0L TDIs, compensation for the 2.0L TDI owners, state lawsuits, and some environmental offsets/fines. Even that Bloomberg article your referring to, (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...u-s-settlement), didn't reference the 3.0L TDIs. Reuters, just released an article a few minutes ago, which again states that 3.0L TDIs won't be included in tomorrow's settlement. Of course some of this information could be wrong, since the gag order is still in place, but I seriously doubt that they wouldn't leak some reference to a settlement for the 3.0L TDIs, especially after leaking so much 2.0L TDI settlement info.


Here is that reference of the settlement details in the slightly more recent Reuters article...

http://www.reuters.com/article/volks...-idUSL1N19J1XL

Volkswagen AG's settlement with nearly 500,000 U.S. diesel owners and government regulators over polluting vehicles is valued at more than $15 billion cash, a source briefed on the matter said on Monday.

The settlement, to be announced on Tuesday in Washington, includes $10.03 billion to offer buybacks to owners of about 475,000 polluting vehicles and nearly $5 billion in funds to offset excess diesel emissions and boost zero emission vehicles, the source said.

A separate settlement with nearly all U.S. state attorneys general over excess diesel emissions will be announced on Tuesday and is expected to be more than $500 million and will push the total to over $15 billion, a separate source briefed on the matter said.

Spokeswomen for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Volkswagen declined to comment.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, due to court-imposed gag rules, the original source said that owners of 2.0 liter diesel VW 2009-2015 cars will receive an average of $5,000 in compensation along with the estimated value of the vehicles as of September 2015, before the scandal erupted.

Prior owners will get half of current owners, while people who leased cars will also get compensation, said the original source.

Owners would also receive the same compensation if they choose to have the vehicles repaired, assuming U.S. regulators approve a fix at a later date.

The settlement includes $2.7 billion in funds to offset excess diesel emissions and $2 billion for green energy and zero emission vehicle efforts, the source said. The diesel offset fund could rise if VW has not fixed or bought back 85 percent of the vehicles by mid-2019, the first source said.

The settlement, the largest ever automotive buyback offer in U.S. history and most expensive auto industry scandal, stems from the German automaker's admission in September 2015 that it intentionally misled regulators by installing secret software that allowed U.S. vehicles to emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution.

VW still must reach agreement with regulators on whether it will offer to buyback 85,000 larger 3.0 liter Porsche, Audi and VW cars and SUVs that emitted up to nine times legally allowable pollution and how much it may face in civil fines for admitting to violating the Clean Air Act.

Reuters reported earlier the initial VW settlement would not include civil penalties under the U.S. Clean Air Act or address about 80,000 larger 3.0 liter Audi, Porsche and VW vehicles that emitted less pollution than 2.0 liter vehicles. A deal covering the 3.0 liter vehicles may still be months away.

The settlement does not address lawsuits from investors or a criminal investigation by the Justice Department.

Regulators will not immediately approve fixes for the 2.0 liter vehicles – and may not approve fixes for all three generations of the polluting 2009-2015 vehicles, sources previously told Reuters.

The actual amount VW will spend will depend on how many vehicles are repurchased.

Owners will have two years to decide whether to sell back vehicles - and it is not clear when EPA and California will decide whether to approve fixes, which may not eliminate all excess emissions.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco will hold a hearing on July 26 to decide on whether to grant preliminary approval to the settlements. If granted he would hold a later hearing to give final approval. Buybacks are likely to start no earlier than October, the first source said.

[hiphawpdrunkie]

QUBE5... You're most likely right, but I'm still crossing my fingers.

Aside from the settlement timing and structure, assuming they offer us buy backs, what would you guys do? Would you stick with Audi or get into something else?

I was already looking to get 3-row SUV and narrowed my search to the new Q7, Volvo XC90 and Land Rover LR4. If I had to decide today, I'd probably get into the new Q7.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[QUBE5]

The settlement for the 2.0L TDIs was made public today, but unfortunately it currently doesn't include the 3.0L TDIs. Reuters has a great Question and Answer article to help explain today's official settlement....


http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vo...-idUSKCN0ZE1V9

Does the settlement address 3.0 liter engine cars?

No. A settlement to address some 80,000 3.0 liter vehicles sold by Volkswagen in the United States is still pending.

Hopefully, impacted 3.0L TDI owners will hear more at the June 30th "Status Conference".

[sweetmeat]

Hopefully they want to avoid additional legal cost and just resolve this. The one thing we have going is the EPA / Judge are being aggressive towards them.

My guess is we get 1/3 of the money, with no buy back..since the 3.0s polluted @10 times the limit vs 30 for the 2.0s.

[hiphawpdrunkie]

Hopefully they want to avoid additional legal cost and just resolve this. The one thing we have going is the EPA / Judge are being aggressive towards them.

My guess is we get 1/3 of the money, with no buy back..since the 3.0s polluted @10 times the limit vs 30 for the 2.0s.

I actually think we will get buy backs, but with little to no additional compensation.

Buy backs are compensatory in nature, i.e., expectation damages for not receiving the benefit of the bargain. The fact is that VW/AoA sold us cars that promised fuel efficiency, increased performance, all with significantly less deleterious impacts on the environment over traditional gas engines. I'm not sure the dividing line between whether or not we're eligible for buy backs is the multiplier of NOx emissions over the acceptable range.

What that multiplier might impact, however, is the amount in addition to the buy backs. These additional amounts are punitive in nature, i.e., meant to punish VW, at least from my perspective. Here, I could see the argument that since VW's cheat mechanism was less egregious, the proportionate damages that are punitive in nature should be less than was the case in the 2.0L vehicles.

I'm not a litigator, so I could be totally off the mark here, but I'd be interested to hear what you think.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[sweetmeat]

I actually think we will get buy backs, but with little to no additional compensation.

Buy backs are compensatory in nature, i.e., expectation damages for not receiving the benefit of the bargain. The fact is that VW/AoA sold us cars that promised fuel efficiency, increased performance, all with significantly less deleterious impacts on the environment over traditional gas engines. I'm not sure the dividing line between whether or not we're eligible for buy backs is the multiplier of NOx emissions over the acceptable range.

What that multiplier might impact, however, is the amount in addition to the buy backs. These additional amounts are punitive in nature, i.e., meant to punish VW, at least from my perspective. Here, I could see the argument that since VW's cheat mechanism was less egregious, the proportionate damages that are punitive in nature should be less than was the case in the 2.0L vehicles.

I'm not a litigator, so I could be totally off the mark here, but I'd be interested to hear what you think.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

My thought starts with the GoodWill. We got the same, so how do they have a leg to stand on. Saying they never admitted to it is comical, they paid out $85M (assuming everyone took the package) to sweep it under the rug? Granted, $85M is a rounding error to VW, so there is that....

The buybacks are clearly favorable to them. I bought our TDI about a month before the scandal arose, so it will not be favorable to me. The compensation is indeed meant to be punitive, but regardless of the cheating mechanism, they cheated all of us.

In the end, I want resolution whether my car will produce less torque or get 1 mpg less....like we all do.

[QUBE5]

MarketWatch has the the buyback prices and cash offers for all the impacted 2.0L TDI models for VW and Audi.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/vol...sco-2016-06-28

[hiphawpdrunkie]

Does anyone know what the cost of a fully loaded 2015 A3 TDI Prestige stickered for?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sweetmeat]

Does anyone know what the cost of a fully loaded 2015 A3 TDI Prestige stickered for?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

$41,945 for prestige per this article. Love how the buyback price has both the "Cash" offer and the purchase baked into one $ amount.

http://www.edmunds.com/audi/a3/2015/road-test/

Interesting tidbit in the court docs.....if the settlement is similar, I will take a BATH on my 2016 (8/27 purchase date) DOH!

Base Values for Eligible Vehicles. The Base Value for each Eligible Vehicle is (1)
where available, the Clean Trade value of the vehicle based on the NADA Vehicle
Identification Code (VIC) for each Eligible Vehicle in the September 2015 NADA Used
Car Guide published in or around August 2015; and (2) for Model Year (“MY”) 2015
Eligible Vehicles for which no value was published by NADA as of September 2015,
derived by multiplying 0.717 by the MSRP for each individual vehicle, as indicated on
the list of all owned and leased vehicles provided by Volkswagen, dropping any
fractional amount, and then adjusting each Base Value for options. The 0.717 figure
represents the ratio of average September 2015 Clean Trade values to average MSRPs for
MY 2015 Passats. The table below displays examples of derived values for actual MY
2015 vehicles, which are identified by a unique Record ID provided by Volkswagen in
lieu of a full VIN.
Record ID VIN 8*10 Model MSRP Calculation Derived
Value
1441946 WAUCJGFF*F 2015 Audi A3 $42,690 42690 * 0.717 = 30608.73 $30,608
1112016 3VW2A7AU*F 2015 VW Golf $30,490 30490 * 0.717 = 21861.33 $21,861

[UltraFudd]

Using the 0.717 buyback factor, the price I computed based on my 2015 Q7's MSRP is within $100 of the NADA "clean" trade-in value for a low mileage vehicle with 6500 miles on it. This excludes the value of my AudiCare contract, state sales tax, and any after-purchase accessories.

And VAG is the one being "punished"? I was thinking if they did a buyback, I'd trade it for a 2017, but there's no way this works out financially. I'm better off enjoying the performance and better fuel economy and running the wheels off my current vehicle.

[kausbose]

Here's an update for the 3.0 TDI's. Looks like they have a viable fix that they will present. See link below for more information.

http://jalopnik.com/at-least-volkswa...ium=socialflow

It's good news, because most people were concerned about losing value if they had to return the car to VW.

Below is the Reuter's link to the original article.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vo...-idUSKCN0ZG2AG

[QUBE5]

So it looks like August 25th will be the earliest court date that 3.0L TDI owners will hear if there is progress with this "fix", which is almost a year after originally admitting to cheating.....this is taking forever .

[sweetmeat]

So it looks like August 25th will be the earliest court date that 3.0L TDI owners will hear if there is progress with this "fix", which is almost a year after originally admitting to cheating.....this is taking forever .

If this is considered a recall because the fix is supposedly not detrimental to mpg or power.....hello < new brand here> when my S4 lease is up.

[QUBE5]

If this is considered a recall because the fix is supposedly not detrimental to mpg or power.....hello < new brand here> when my S4 lease is up.

I completely agree with you and will be doing the same if they try to pull the "recall" card.

I really doubt that this "fix" won't have some impact though, otherwise it would have been implemented originally.

[hiphawpdrunkie]

Here is a link to the hearing transcript: http://www.cand.uscourts.gov/filelib...Transcript.pdf

It's somewhat reassuring that Judge Breyer makes clear that the one issue that "concerns the Court the most at this point, [is] what is it that can be done with the approximate 85,000 car owners who have purchased a 3-liter car." That said, counsel for VW makes clear that despite being a bigger engine, "excess NOx is much less... And [VW believes] that the fix will not be a complicated fix, and... It will be one that will not have an adverse impact on performance."

I don't buy it and it doesn't negate the fact that our cars have lost value as a result of the scandal.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Pittdawg]

FYI I already blew through my $500 debit card and $500 Audi dealer credit from the Goodwill package. I haven't taken my vehicles to the stealership for years because of their outrageous service prices but figured I would this time because what else was I going to do with my dealership credit (I also figured it would be beneficial because my Q5 is still in warranty). Anyways, they charged me approximately $1000 to perform the 35k service and on top of those fees wanted $155 to change the air filter and $340 for a four wheel alignment. I bought the filter and changed it myself for $26 and have an appointment for alignment for $90. This is my first Audi and I am not impressed with their service in the least.

[kausbose]

FYI I already blew through my $500 debit card and $500 Audi dealer credit from the Goodwill package. I haven't taken my vehicles to the stealership for years because of their outrageous service prices but figured I would this time because what else was I going to do with my dealership credit (I also figured it would be beneficial because my Q5 is still in warranty). Anyways, they charged me approximately $1000 to perform the 35k service and on top of those fees wanted $155 to change the air filter and $340 for a four wheel alignment. I bought the filter and changed it myself for $26 and have an appointment for alignment for $90. This is my first Audi and I am not impressed with their service in the least.

This is what makes Audicare a great value for money. $850 (for a Q5, it's $1150 for a Q5 TDI) for the first four services, 15k, 25k, 35k and 45k is a no brainer. Obviously consumables aren't included. However, I haven't had to pay a penny outside my regular service on the three Audis that I have owned.

[sweetmeat]

This is what makes Audicare a great value for money. $850 (for a Q5, it's $1150 for a Q5 TDI) for the first four services, 15k, 25k, 35k and 45k is a no brainer. Obviously consumables aren't included. However, I haven't had to pay a penny outside my regular service on the three Audis that I have owned.

Yup, and that's exactly what I used the $1000 for.

[QUBE5]

Mueller, VW's CEO, squashed calls for similar compensation for European impacted owners on Sunday...


http://www.dw.com/en/vw-chief-says-u...any/a-19375541

Müller told the Sunday issue of German daily newspaper "Die Welt" there had been renewed calls from German consumer watchdogs for a US-style repayment to VW customers in Germany.
"You don't need to be a mathematician to recognize that a damages payment of any amount would overwhelm Volkswagen," Müller told the paper.

"Payments to customers in the US are meant to give owners an incentive to retrofit their cars," Müller said. "But I don't need to comment on the financial impact for our company if we were to do that in Germany," the VW chief added.

[QUBE5]

Some legal experts are stating that the attorneys involved in representing the impacted TDI owners may not get the typical 20%-30% attorneys' fees due to the lack of extended litigation....

http://www.law.com/sites/almstaff/20...20160605143819

“They have a lot of money they negotiated, but also a defendant that came out of the box admitting liability,” said Elizabeth Burch, a professor at the University of Georgia School of Law. “You don’t have the same sort of protracted litigation, so it’s going to be hard for them to justify a 30 percent or 20 percent fee.”

The Toyota deal took more than three years to litigate. That included $100 million in costs and billable hours and settlement talks that lasted more than a year, according to court records.

Volkswagen, by contrast, settled within a matter of months. The litigation began less than a year ago, after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that Volkswagen’s vehicles emitted as much as 40 times the standard for nitrogen oxides.

And unlike Toyota, which never admitted that an electronic defect was to blame for suddenly accelerating vehicles, Volkswagen confessed that it installed a “defeat device” in its clean diesel vehicles to evade emissions tests.

“It was a slam-dunk guarantee settlement,” said class action critic Ted Frank of the Volkswagen deal. Frank, of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Class Action Fairness, had unsuccessfully argued for a competitive bidding process in the selection of lead counsel to avoid “windfall fees” in the Volkswagen case.

But they also emphasized that the case wasn’t easy. “Indeed, for the past few months, weekends and weekdays were synonymous and holidays did not exist” and “intensive settlement efforts went on around the clock,” they wrote in their motion to approve the settlement.

“Volkswagen has a track record of fighting fee requests that are unreasonable,” Frank said.

In fact, the June 28 settlement agreement included the provision: “Volkswagen reserves all rights to object to an award of attorney’s fees and/or costs beyond what it believes to be reasonable.”

[QUBE5]

Former South Korean Audi CEO, Park Dong-hoon, faces more scrutiny and tough questions over the diesel emissions scandal on July 8th.....

http://wardsauto.com/industry/former...ssions-scandal

After being questioned as a material witness in the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal, Renault Samsung Motors CEO Park Dong-hoon officially is being labeled a suspect by the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office and now faces further questioning.

Park ran Audi Volkswagen Korea as its managing director from 2005 to 2013, before moving over to RSM.

Before being questioned by prosecutors as a material witness this week, Park told reporters he had no knowledge of the deceptive diesel-emissions-rigging scheme that occurred under his watch and that he would cooperate fully with the investigation.

A day later, prosecutors changed Park’s status to suspect and scheduled more questioning for July 8 at the infamous VIP suite at the District Prosecutor’s Office. The suite has seen many Korean CEO’s grilled intensively, sometimes for more than 12 hours at a stretch, during investigations into white-collar crime cases. The suite includes a prison cell and, regardless of high social status, suspects all are treated to the same intensive examination methods.

Also covered by the Korea Herald: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160706001058

Seoul Prosecutors suspect the German head office was aware of problems regarding the emissions of vehicles equipped with Euro 5 EA189 diesel engines, based on emails transacted between the local unit and headquarters from 2010 to 2011.

______________________________________


The German Transportation Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, said today that he has no plans to fine VW/Audi for the diesel emissions scandal...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...ressure-mounts

Volkswagen AG is set to escape fines from the German government even after cheating on emissions tests for years, reflecting a softer political stance that’s increasingly drawing ire following a generous deal for U.S. drivers.

Germany’s influential Bild newspaper took Volkswagen to task for failing to compensate more than 2 million affected owners after Chief Executive Officer Matthias Mueller rejected compensation in Europe as an excessive burden. Little support is likely from the German government, with the Transport Ministry not planning to seek fines. The regulator is instead relying on a recall to resolve customer complaints and an ongoing criminal investigation to determine whether any further measures are warranted.

“We now have a situation in which Volkswagen is required to return the cars to a legally compliant condition,” German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt told reporters Wednesday in Berlin. “That is what is appropriate to remedy the damage that’s been done.”

“It’s not acceptable that the government doesn’t take any real consequences from the emissions scandal and gives a blank check for tricks and deceptions,” said Oliver Krischer, a member of Germany’s Bundestag from the opposition Green Party who is leading a parliamentary investigation committee. “It needs to be explained why companies in Germany don’t pay fines. It’s also not OK that European drivers are treated worse than American VW drivers.”

Instead of payments, “German customers get a letter and an appointment at the workshop to fix the cheating diesels,” Bild wrote in story published Wednesday. “Are German customers second class?”

Volkswagen declined to comment beyond Mueller’s statements in the newspaper interview from this weekend. The carmaker remains under criminal investigation in Germany, and that process could still yield fines.

______________________________________


Canadian 3.0L TDI Owner Credit Package Registration has now EXPIRED. US 3.0L TDI Owners have until July 31, 2016 to register for the US Audi Goodwill Package.

[QUBE5]

The (European 2.0L) Q5 "fix" actually made NOx emissions worse according to the Italian consumer group Altroconsumo....

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vo...-idUSKCN0ZN20H

Volkswagen's (VW) technical fix for one of the vehicles involved in its "Dieselgate" scandal did not reduce emissions in a test, a European consumer group said on Thursday.

VW has argued the fix for vehicles affected by its emissions test cheating scandal would make them compliant with EU regulations, avoiding the need to compensate owners.

The test of the Audi Q5 by the Italian consumer group Altroconsumo showed harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions 25 percent higher after the removal of illegal defeat device software than before the technical fix, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) said.

VW was not immediately available to comment.

"VW's solution to deactivate the defeat device is not reliable," BEUC's head Monique Goyens said in a statement.

"VW must compensate European consumers," she added. "National public authorities must finally take action and put pressure on VW to correct their misbehavior."

While the EU's industry commissioner has urged VW not to treat U.S. and European customers differently, despite differing legal systems, responsibility for policing, penalties and enforcement in the EU lies mainly with national authorities.

Last week, EU Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska took carmakers to task, saying they stretched the legal bounds, for instance with emissions control systems that switch off at below 17 degrees Celsius.

"That means in Northern Finland you drive without emission control almost all year-long," she said at an industry gathering. "What you do is you make the exception the general rule."

______________________________________


VW will pay California $86 Million over the diesel emissions scandal in addition to the $15 Billion Settlement....

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/volksw...171937888.html

Volkswagen AG will pay an additional $86 million in penalties to California over its emissions scandal, on top of a settlement of about $15 billion that the automaker reached with U.S. officials last week, state Attorney General Kamala Harris said in a statement on Thursday.

______________________________________


You can now comment on the US VW Diesel Emissions Scandal Settlement....

http://www.consumerreports.org/volks...ns-settlement/

A one-month public comment period allows anyone with an opinion on the settlement to make his or her voice heard.

If you want to submit a comment, here are the contact details:

By email: [email protected].

By mail: Assistant Attorney General, U.S. DOJ—ENRD, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, D.C. 20044-7611.

All comments must be submitted by Aug. 6.

______________________________________


Former South Korean Audi CEO was questioned by Seoul's Prosecutor's Office Friday(July 8th). According to reports, South Korean Prosecutors will soon summon another top VW/Audi executive over the diesel emissions scandal...


http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/busi...01500315F.html

Park Dong-hoon appeared before the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for questioning over his alleged involvement in the company's cheating on emissions tests by using so-called defeat device software.

He declined to comment on any of the questions asked by reporters before entering the prosecutors' office.

Prosecutors said they will soon summon Johannes Thammer, the current chief of the automaker's South Korean unit.

[QUBE5]

German prosecutors are calling for VW to face a fine for the diesel emissions scandal, despite the German Transportation Minister earlier in the week stating he wasn't going to seek a fine....

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vo...-idUSKCN0ZO225

German prosecutors are demanding carmaker Volkswagen face a fine based on the level of the profits the carmaker made from selling 11 million vehicles equipped with manipulated engine software, Sueddeutsche Zeitung said.

______________________________________


A Spainish Judge stated today that Spain's legal system will hold VW (in Germany) responsible for any penalty associated with the emissions fraud charges it is facing....

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vo...-idUSKCN0ZO13S

Spain's High Court said on Friday Volkswagen's parent company, based in Germany, would be liable to answer any charges over emissions fraud, rather than its Spanish affiliates.

Also covered by The Financial Times: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6d0242f0-4...#axzz4DqOTEWzB

[QUBE5]

On Monday, the South Korean Government stated that it will decide on July 22nd to possibly cancel the registration for up to 60% of South Korea's diesel and gas VW models sold since 2007, due to the emissions cheating.....

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160711000558

South Korean authorities announced July 11 that they will cancel the registration and suspend sales of all Volkswagen vehicles here that cheated on emission tests.

The amount is expected to reach up to 60 percent of the total 250,000 units of VW cars that were sold in South Korea since 2007.

Due to the staggering number, some industry watchers say the move may be designed to eventually kick the brand out of the market for good.

Also covered by Reuters:http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vo...-idUSKCN0ZR0VI

South Korea's environment ministry said on Monday it will hold a hearing on July 22 to decide whether to cancel the certification of 32 Volkswagen group models, after the firm admitted to using software to falsify pollution tests on some diesel cars.

The ministry said the decision will be made in late July after the hearing.

More details: http://english.chosun.com/site/data/...071200776.html

A ministry official said, "Volkswagen would have to submit clear evidence that it did not doctor documents, but this appears highly unlikely." That means sales will not resume until Volkswagen submits proper fresh documentation.

A Volkswagen staffer here said, "We will announce a response once we get official notification from the ministry." The carmaker is considering turning to the courts to stop the administrative action.

______________________________________


Automotive News obtained a very short statement from the EPA about when or if TDI sales will resume....

http://www.autonews.com/article/2016...a-for-sales-ok

After U.S. officials announced the $15 billion VW settlements in late June, an EPA official told Automotive News that VW still hadn't applied for the agency approvals needed to sell new diesel-powered vehicles.

"They need to address our concerns" before sales can resume, the EPA official said.

VW didn't respond to requests for comment last week.

VW froze sales of new and certified pre-owned diesels in September after the EPA made VW's emissions violations public and revoked certification for its 2016 2.0-liter diesel models. No new vehicle can be sold without the EPA Certificate of Conformity affirming that it complies with U.S. emissions regulations.

______________________________________


If German prosecutors are able to prove that a top manager or board member at VW/Audi were responsible for the emissions scandal, prosecutors can seize the profits made from the diesel emissions scandal....

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...r-german-probe

German prosecutors widened a probe of Volkswagen AG’s emissions cheating, potentially paving the way for hundreds of millions of euros in penalties on top of the $15.3 billion U.S. settlement.

Prosecutors invoked a procedure as part of their criminal probe of employees that allows them to ask courts to fine the company as well, Klaus Ziehe, a spokesman for the investigators in Braunschweig, said by phone. Fines can only be levied if the probe finds a top manager or board member guilty of wrongdoing linked to the scandal.

If prosecutors can prove that Volkswagen executives violated their duties leading up to the cheating, fines could include the profits made from the cars affected. Volkswagen installed the cheating software, which turned on full pollution controls only during official tests, in about 11 million vehicles around the world.

______________________________________


BusinessCar.co.uk has a new article with some interesting figures from a recent UK NOx emissions test performed by Emissions Analytics(http://equa.emissionsanalytics.com) on several European vehicles....

http://www.businesscar.co.uk/news/20...ng-nox-figures

Tests that replicate real-world driving by data analysis firm Emission Analytics have revealed that Euro6 diesel engines are up to 14 times dirtier on NOx emissions than their official figures sugges

There are eight grades. An A-C rating means the car meets current Euro6 emission standards in replicated real-world driving, while G-graded cars emits more than 10 times the limit and H-graded vehicles pollute at least 12 times over Euro6 thresholds.

"Of those we've tested and that are on sale today, seven have 'A' ratings and every single one is from the VW group. Their new engines are among the cleanest in the market," Emissions Analytics CEO, Nick Molden told BusinessCar.

Emissions Analytics is able to test up to 400 cars a year in the UK and conducts its tests on a fixed road route with all cars conditioned in the same way beforehand - for example, the engine is warmed up and all the windows are closed. Data analysis is used to add traffic variables and all cars are driven by trained technicians, while parts of the same road are also re-tested but deliberately driven more aggressively and gently to see what the variations are.

The best and worst Euro6 engines

A-graded diesels
Audi A5 2.0 161 manual
Seat Alhambra 2.0 150 manual
Skoda Superb 2.0 148 manual
VW Golf SV 2.0 148 Auto
VW Passat 1.6 118 manual
VW Scirocco 2.0 148 manual
VW Touran 1.6 108 manual
G-graded diesels
Infiniti Q30 1.5 108 manual
Subaru Forester 2.0 145 auto
Vauxhall Zafira Tourer 1.6 134 manual
H-graded diesels
Fiat 500 X 1.6 118 manual
Porsche Panamera 3.0 300 Auto
Ssangyong Korando 2.2 176 manual

[QUBE5]

A South Korean VW executive was indicted on Tuesday over manipulating emissions data. More executives are expected to be charged in the coming weeks as well....

http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswag...ase-1468379701

An executive at Volkswagen AG’s South Korean unit has been indicted on charges of submitting manipulated emissions data to authorities and violating an air-quality law. Prosecutors indicted the 52-year-old executive, surnamed Yoon, late Tuesday, according to a spokesman for the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office.

“This is the beginning. We’ll call in more Volkswagen officials, including the current Korean office chief, Johannes Thammer, for questioning,” the spokesman said.

Mr. Yoon would be the first Volkswagen official in South Korea to stand trial on allegations of emissions cheating. A Volkswagen Korea spokeswoman declined to comment on the indictment.

Mr. Yoon, who was arrested last month, has been accused of filing more than a hundred falsified emission documents and noise reports for cars sold in South Korea beginning in 2010. Among the affected vehicles are the Volkswagen Golf and the Audi A4 and A7.

Investigators uncovered the situation after searching Volkswagen offices in South Korea in May.

[QUBE5]

On Wednesday, shareholders stated that if German prosecutors are successful in seizing VW's profits from the diesel emissions scandal, shareholders will call on VW executives to payback their bonuses....

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/au...KCN0ZT1SR?il=0

Volkswagen managers may face calls to return their bonuses if the company is fined by German prosecutors over the profits it made from selling 11 million cars fitted with illicit engine software.

The carmaker's second largest shareholder, Lower Saxony, which holds a 20 percent stake, had opposed executive bonuses for 2015 when the diesel emissions scandal broke, but in April the state agreed a compromise that reduced management payouts by about a third.

"No profit is no profit and bonuses cannot be paid if there is no profit," said Lies, one of two representatives of Lower Saxony on VW's supervisory board which signs off on executive pay.