Volkswagen (VW) is once again under fire for cheating emissions standards with special software. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board have accused VW of violating clean-air standards for longer and in more vehicles than previously thought.
The scandal initially related to smaller vehicles, heavily marketed as clean diesel, which used software on so-called defeat devices to cheat emissions testing. In 2014, a study conducted at West Virginia University revealed a large discrepancy in actual emissions versus what was reported by the software.
This September, Volkswagen issued a recall for 11 million vehicles worldwide after admitting to installing the software. Although the company leadership has issued public apologies, many are saying its too little, too late. Their trust among consumers will undoubtedly be hurt for many years to come. (Click here for a list of affected models).
On November 9, Volkswagen announced a $1,000 voucher for 482,000 diesel Audi and VW owners in the US, in addition to a $2,000 trade-in offer. Many consumers have demanded full refunds, because they bought the vehicles on false pretenses. VW has not responded to these demands.
The EPA is now going after an additional 85,000 autos produced by the company. These include larger luxury vehicles and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) with 3.0 liter V-6 engines dating from 2009-2016. Audi and Porsche brand cars, owned by Volkswagen, are also included in the investigation.
This latest turn of events occurred after it was discovered that the use of auxiliary emissions control software on about 10,000 Audi vehicles was not disclosed. Although the software itself is not illegal, the EPA is concerned about that failure to properly notify regulators about the devices, especially in the wake of the scandal. VW denies that these vehicles were involved in the cheating scandal.
If you have purchased a vehicle affected by the VW emissions scandal, you may be able to recover compensation. Greg Coleman Law is currently pursing claims on behalf of consumers defrauded by Volkswagen. Contact us today for a free claim evaluation. We will fight to get you the justice you deserve.
Call (865) 247-0080 for a free consultation or fill out our case evaluation form.
