The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has lobbied for a recall of roughly 482,000 Volkswagen and Audi cars in the country after it was discovered that the carmaker had installed illegal “defeat devices” in its diesel-powered cars to help it comply with emissions tests, Automotive News reports.
Vehicles include model year 2009-2015 Volkswagen Beetle, Golf, Jetta, Passat as well as Audi A3 units – all models were equipped with a turbocharged 2.0 litre four-cylinder diesel engine. As a result, the brand could be penalised by as much as US$37,500 per vehicle. When totalled, the figure adds up to around US$18 billion.
Said illegal software is capable of detecting when the car is being put through emissions tests – during which full emissions controls are activated. In real-world conditions, away from testing facilities, the cars are said to emit “up to 40 times” the permitted levels of nitrous oxides. The pollutants emitted are understood to be linked to illnesses such as asthma attacks and other respiratory diseases.
Aside from the obvious reason for the use of said illegal software, it is also known that when the emission control systems are activated, “there’s a trade-off between performance and emissions,” commented executive director of the International Council on Clean Transportation, Drew Kodjak. Shutting off the pollution controls system is understood to improve the performance of diesel-powered vehicles.
The issue was brought into the spotlight after Kodjak’s group noticed a discrepancy between the figures quoted by Volkswagen during emissions testing and recorded real-world numbers. The team was in the midst of researching diesel vehicles when the discovery was made – the issue was then highlighted to the EPA.
“These violations are very serious, not only because illegal defeat devices results in excess emissions many times the allowable standard, but also because Volkswagen was concealing the facts from EPA, the state of California and consumers,” said the EPA’s assistant administrator, Cynthia Giles.
As a result of the incident, The Detroit News has reported that Volkswagen has been banned from selling its diesel-powerered cars with the same engine from the year 2016 onwards. In a statement issued by Volkswagen CEO, Martin Winterkorn, it was stated that “cooperate fully with the responsible agencies, with transparency and urgency, to clearly, openly, and completely establish all of the facts of this case.”
“I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public. The trust of our customers and the public is and continues to be our most important asset,” he added. The German carmaker has also confirmed that it has called for an external probe of the matter.
As mentioned earlier, no recall has been made just yet but the EPA has stated that it will “hold Volkswagen responsible” for taking the necessary steps to rectify the situation. Additionally, the EPA has also announced that it was prepared to withhold certifications required for Volkswagen’s cars to go on sale.
Here they come ……….
So shy. I don’t know where VW owners are going to hide their face now.
why should we hide our faces? i’m a proud owner of my VW and dishonesty in VW has nothing to do with my pride. if i am the one involved in the “defeat devices” then i have all the reason to hide.
you are one pathetic moron.
detroit News say got ban, when is the Malaysian Government going to ban lemons being sold to Malaysians?
first they lie about their DSG, now they lie about this….compulsive liars.
And Malaysians buy RM200k from a acompany that lies
We Malaysians suffer more. Mat Salleh buy a lemon, its no big deal fro them. Its only US$20k plus for a Passat. No big loss for them. Even McDonalds workers also can earn that much per annum.
But Malaysians, RM200k is big money. Even to the well to do, RM200k is still a lot of money. And to get a lemon for RM200k, oouuuch!
I cannot bilip Malaysians pay RM200k for a car that gives headache after headache. In Europe VW is like Proton in Malaysia. It is considered as a normal car. But in Malaysia, it is a luxury kononnya. But Pay RM200k for the car to judder, stall and kaput
Kimchi phone, cheating…
German cars, cheating also…
As I always said, you better stick with sushi cars.
VW AG knew about their DSG problems many many years. All keep senyap. Even VGM also knew about the DSG problems. All keep senyap. Now they say mineral oil can sort the problem out. But that also tipu
After hearing this I just made a vow never to touch and look at a VW and an Audi ever again. This news has shocked so many people in my office.
We worship the white man and yet, the white man has cheated us. I think I rather drive a cheap Proton.
Sushi got killer airbags, how?
Only diesel car is affected. So far, malaysia petro car is still safe. So flamming d la….
Hahahahaha so true … hide my face for what? hahahahaha
Last time like to say Japanese buyers are losers. VW owners high nose. Action so much. Now, see who are the real losers.
So VW is Euro 3 like Vios?
hahahahaha
VGM sales are so bad now. Nearly every Malaysian know about their DSG scandal.
That day, in pasar also, the asoh jual ikan also told me about VW and their DSG failure.
Hide your face better
You are like driving car with old standard Euro emission engine.
The VW owners no need to hide the face, it’s those people working for VW need to hide their face (including VGM). We buy because we are being conned by those sales people and huge discounts and their world class after sales service which like a hotel/resort facility for your cars. Now their reputation are gone down to zero for sure.
I’m satisfied with it because i can get a lower price to purchase vw car. Plus, VGM shows good service when i send my car to service center for normal servicing. What else u want more?
First toyota, then hyundai and now vw. Conspiracy against foreign cars in US
That’s not the case at all.
GM was heavily scrutinized for their ignition issue which caused a few deaths.
The government ought to be vigilant about these things to ensure consumers are protected.
Malaysia Government don’t car cause all car companies are ultimately owned by GLC Government. So, who to protect us?
We should be protecting ourselves, knowing no other agencies will do that for us.
maybe the US government is very money minded.
In US, their lawyers are money-minded sharks. In MY, our lawyers are power-hungry sharks.
As long as vw in Malaysia is not affected then fine. I dont care for the other brands, at least I’m satisfied with my vw car
Their Local car don’t sale well so looking for other car fault and make some fast cash and tarnish other reputations
Please read guys. They kantoi on their diesel powered car, so the ban only affect diesel cars?
It’s not about affecting which model/engine, its about the company’s integrity. If they could lie to us on something like this, who knows what else they are hiding.
Wow …. this worst it question the VW on INTEGRITY.
They purposely design a software to “cheat” a ruling, come to question what else they have been cheating. It is like putting a system to cheat in examination.
Well, I can understand when it is technical issue, design oversight and human error but “Cheating with Intent”.
So they did the same with the Suzuki deal …….
Knowing how they operate a scapegoat will always be available so that they can walkaway with minimal damage
too much hanky panky practice by VW group….
seems to me then – proton is the more honest car maker. they know iriz and preve cannot sell in european union countries. proton reluctant to lie.
kudos to our national carmaker!
Fuiyoh, US EPA so power.
:p
VW – Such a Non-Ethical Company.
Latest Historical Act:
1. Produce Lemons + dont give customer to claim warranty.
2. Bully Suzuki, not fulling promise as per contract for co-operation.
3. Cheat Consumer, Fake the Emission Standard through Illegal Software.
Truly Money Minded, give you what u see and feel.
What u see and what u cannot feel in the car – it’s rubbish.
And yet some “patriotic rakyat” sayz Malaysia Gov stupid for not selling P1 to VW. Looking back, it seems more and more like we really really dodged a bullet there.
Kudos to P1 management for using their Force to detect the Sith in VW, and for ignoring these vocal “patriotic rakyat”.
Yet proton continues it descent into darkness. No difference there.
What darknesss?
Malaysians pay RM200k to buy from an unethical company.
How many VW sold in msia each yr?
More than 100,000 buyers support cronies brand every year.. tell me about that
in US the fuel price has always been cheap, hence people tend to get big cc cars there.
so to VW it matters little because cars with TDI engine aren’t their best seller.
Their TDI cars are a big deal in the US. VW are selling quite a lot of them and they happen to be the only major manufacturers to be selling diesel cars in the US. This explains a lot, the rest of the manufacturers are playing by the rules, hence they are unable to roll out their diesel cars, particularly Mazda and Honda.
disagree bro. when you get caught cheating like this, doesn’t just affect your TDI car sale. VW and Audi sale across the entire model range will probably get hit. potential buyers will start questioning, what if they also cheated on other aspects and government will unearth that too?
so VWers should be paying congestion charges now right? wake up London! VWers has been deflecting paying the CC for how many years now..
Hey VW don’t fret, bring those vehicles to malaysia, people here will pay 10x your selling price in US even AFTER CONVERSION and say it’s the best goddamn decision they have ever made in their lives.
Heil hydra
Huh? If it comes with DSG gearbox, even diehard continental fans will keep away from VW.
The Koreans also cheated on their fuel consumption figure. Kia and Hyundai promised to subsidize their buyers with fuel vouchers as a compensation. I wonder if they have done that.
Stay away from VW products, there are better choices out there. be smart n responsible buyer.
Why say so? You owned vw car before? My neighbor owned vw polo sedan for years, not sure how many years but i dint heard him complain pun.
VW don’t have the technology, just admit it. Don’t pretend you have one and then cheating people!!! The same goes with your award winning DSG too!
Personally I have no trust over volkswagen, audi & ford diesel engines. With EURO 5 clean emission level, it produces black smokes under acceleration. It clearly not clean.
r u walking the scenario in malaysia?
actually our diesel has very high sulphur content and tends to become soot residues in the exhaust system. when one accelerate hard, it is not black smoke but rather carbon soot!
because of same reason, many diesel cars have tail pipe which point downwards unlike the petrol version. cars like Jaguar XF for example.
the days of heavy black smoke from diesel engines are long gone when the mechanical fuel pump was replaced by common rail direct injection (CDI or CRDi or D4-D, among others)
Rubbish!! Everyday Hilux is spewing thick black smoke on my face in traffic jam.
Japan and German still rules !!!
I always had bad impression towards volkswagen.. Thought its only the salesperson that are cocky and irrespectful, now with this cheating, VW is “Very Worst”
germany product is well known to be 100%. if it’s not 100%, it’s not going 99% and they will do anything to be ‘100%’.
Well, this is just in US. Malaysia vw cars are not affected, nothing much to afraid about