It?s been rough going for the past 10 months?not just for Volkswagen, as it struggles to extricate itself from the diesel emissions mess of its own making, but for owners of the affected models.
Those owners of VW models with the 2.0-liter TDI four-cylinder engine have had to deal with the knowledge that they?re polluting many, many times the legal EPA test limit of NOx?and decide whether, in their right conscience, they should be driving their vehicles. Yet now, with an important courtroom step this week, they’re one solid step closer to getting either a check or a fix that brings their vehicles into compliance.
A few weeks ago, Volkswagen laid out the scenario by which it could make good for hundreds of thousands of owners of products with this engine. Now the federal judge who presides over the civil claims issue has granted preliminary approval for Volkswagen?s plan. VW says that it will begin its remedy program as soon as the federal court grants final approval. Through the buyback plan, Volkswagen will pay up to 475,000 owners the ?fair replacement value? of their vehicles as of September 17, 2015. In a statement about the preliminary approval, as it relates to the fix and those who want to keep their cars, Volkswagen said that it ?continues to work closely with the EPA and CARB on an approved emissions modification for each of the 2.0L TDI engine vehicles.?
Those who choose to get an emissions fix on the vehicles will get between $5100 and $10,000 in com...