Daishi
Aside from government fines there might be some potential for a class action lawsuit from customers that bought the cars based on false emissions data as well. It wouldn't be for nearly as much money but it still adds to the legal mess they are now in.
I wonder how different the emissions results are without the defeat device vs with. It's a really really bad decision by them but hopefully if the government does hit them with a $18 billion fine they find a good use for the money because that's one hell of a fine.
Galymax
According to findings from West Virginia University, VW Golf, Jetta, Beetle, Passat, as well as the Audi A3 and A4 produced 10-40 times as much nitrogen oxide and other dangerous emissions as the EPA limit.
Galymax
VW said today that the defeat device was built into up to 11 million cars.
gizmowiz
I hope the EPA and all owners sue the company into bankruptcy. Serves them right for outright fraud that fouled our air and endangered our lives (especially for asthmatics). We must show the world that cheating DOES NOT PAY.
Buellrider
VW head guy WinterKorn really meant to say that "he was truly sorry that they were caught". How unethical can these guys be? If someone (WinterKorn) doesn't end up in jail for this then the United States justice system will show that only folks without means go to jail. I used to have a Volkswagen Golf(gas) that I bought new in 1985. I liked it but it was my first new car and I let some things slide that I wouldn't today because I was young and inexperienced. Paint was falling off outside the wheel wells and the dealer just rattle canned it as their fix. Every time I'd be in a long tight curve the oil pressure warning horn would sound off and that was for all the years I owned that car. Apparently it was a design flaw where the oil would not feed the pump when in a tight curve. I'll never own another VW and that you can take to the bank.
Bob Vious
It doesn't surprise me at all that companies cheat the system to keep their workers working. Probably every major company does that to some degree. I disagree with it, but I'm just being realistic. What does bother me is that the regulatory agency involved didn't have the cynicism to think someone might do this, and act accordingly. Or, were those guys on the take?
flyerfly
The dishonesty is no good. I do feel bad that most comments on this site seem fairly one sided though. If you know anything about diesel engineering and all the new Tier 4 requirements you would know that achieving what the EPA is asking for is very very hard. It is very very costly and is making people seek after Tier 3 engines as if they were gold. The new engines are not as reliable and they are far more expensive. All the paperwork involved for an engine dealer/installer is extremely burdensome and costly. I can say that the EPA is ruining the economy and people on the consumer end do not seem to notice.
While I am all for the environment I do wish that the two faced holier than thou approach of the EPA would go away. Volkswagon should not have done this but the EPA made it soooo expensive to comply the normal way that the temptation was to great. In the end the EPA does not care about the environment as much as they do about the control and are salivating about the fines. All those advocating suing Volkswagon seem to also be seeing the $$$...sad. If they are hit with the huge fines they won't have as much money for R&D to make things better...the EPA will have more money to grow bigger and make more restrictive rules...and the death spiral will continue. Go buy a horse and buggy while you can. Oh wait...they produce methane! DANG!
While I don't work with Volkswagon I am an engineer and feel sorry for the whole state of affairs.
peteepositive
I don't think VW will lose out as bad as some may assume. Not all buyers are tree huggers. There are some who buy just for performance, or milage. The emissions regulations set are a joke anyhow. Can't tell you how many times I had put my windows up, due to thick black smoke coming from a diesel truck. It's also a fact, you can fail an emissions test for too little polution. While saving our earth, and cutting emissions is a great idea, a diesel is not particularly something to do it with. How about electric, propane, or hydrogen. Or even fumes from gas. All these are way better for emmissions,and even cheaper to use. Diesel even cost less to make than gasoline, yet is more expensive to buy at the pump. So really, they tricked emmissions testing, which is a joke standard to begin with.
wanderkip
Bet VW is only the "tip of the iceberg" for this issue and other car companies, both foreign and domestic are knee-deep in software tweaks as well. The debate over the DMCA, (Digital Millennium Software Act) is heating up and escalates the software tinkering discussion far beyond John Deere "protecting" home mechanics. If consumers have access to the ECU mapping, or could pay a local hacker a few bucks to gain 50 hp and 5 more mpg and still reset for testing... how many owners would actually do so? My guess is not many. Whether your politics leans towards environmental or economic initiatives, the majority of Americans seem to model their ethics around the consensus of law. If they figure the EPA exists for their benefit and federal laws set objective standards, as long as our lives aren't too dramatically affected, we will go along like good little sheep. Best bet now is to buy a cheap, used, late-model TDI and wait for the VW Buyback mandate to make a tidy profit!
the.other.will
The cost of fixing the problem is relatively simple to estimate. Fines will be decided by multiple governments but will eventually resolve to a list of big numbers of euros. The harm to buyers is more complicated. Fixing the problem will likely translate into poorer performance & greater fuel consumption. Resale value will go down, partly from those numbers, partly from stigma. How will buyers be compensated? The fines should be directed towards reducing air pollution & compensating buyers, not dumped into general funds.