Photo: Volkswagen
Volkswagen’s Dieselgate problems in the USA are far from over, as the automaker may have to buy back more cars than it initially expected.
According to a report, almost half of the 475,000 customers of the Dieselgate-affected vehicles sold in the country with 2.0-liter TDI engines are more interested in a buyback than the fix and its corresponding cash benefit.
While precise figures have not been presented, there are over 200,000 drivers of cars sold by the Volkswagen Group in the USA that would like to sell their vehicles back to the corporation.
As Automotive News notes, the plaintiff’s attorney, Elizabeth Cabraser, believes that owners of those vehicles might change their minds regarding the buyback program once Volkswagen has a government-approved fix for those vehicles.
We think that some owners will still be interested in the buyback regardless, as they could get more money and get rid of the cars made by a company that deceived them.
The fix would mean bringing the affected cars to compliance without impacting performance, fuel economy, drivability, or reliability. Along with a car that would be compliant with emissions regulations, owners would also get $5,100 for their troubles.
Evidently, it would be more expensive for Volkswagen to buy back the affected vehicles than to fix them and pay compensation to their owners.
On the other hand, Volkswagen risks paying federal penalties if it does not get 85% of polluters off the road by the deadline set in 2019. Hopefully, the German corporation will find a way to fix as many of the affected units long before the time limit is reached.
Bringing the Dieselgate-affected cars to compliance with EPA norms should not be an impossible task, but Volkswagen still needs approval from Federal Authorities, which takes longer than usual because every part of the proposed fix must be analyzed.
As we noted before, some owners of the affected vehicles could still drive on American roads without a fix, as the German corporation’s settlement obligation only includes getting 85% of the affected vehicles off the road, without mentioning the rest.
While precise figures have not been presented, there are over 200,000 drivers of cars sold by the Volkswagen Group in the USA that would like to sell their vehicles back to the corporation.
As Automotive News notes, the plaintiff’s attorney, Elizabeth Cabraser, believes that owners of those vehicles might change their minds regarding the buyback program once Volkswagen has a government-approved fix for those vehicles.
We think that some owners will still be interested in the buyback regardless, as they could get more money and get rid of the cars made by a company that deceived them.
The fix would mean bringing the affected cars to compliance without impacting performance, fuel economy, drivability, or reliability. Along with a car that would be compliant with emissions regulations, owners would also get $5,100 for their troubles.
Evidently, it would be more expensive for Volkswagen to buy back the affected vehicles than to fix them and pay compensation to their owners.
On the other hand, Volkswagen risks paying federal penalties if it does not get 85% of polluters off the road by the deadline set in 2019. Hopefully, the German corporation will find a way to fix as many of the affected units long before the time limit is reached.
Bringing the Dieselgate-affected cars to compliance with EPA norms should not be an impossible task, but Volkswagen still needs approval from Federal Authorities, which takes longer than usual because every part of the proposed fix must be analyzed.
As we noted before, some owners of the affected vehicles could still drive on American roads without a fix, as the German corporation’s settlement obligation only includes getting 85% of the affected vehicles off the road, without mentioning the rest.
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