Some of the Volkswagen TDI owners who decided not to take a fairly lucrative buyback offer from the automaker?although they are still getting paid all the same?now have a U.S.-regulator-approved fix for their noncompliant diesel-powered cars.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) said Friday that the fix was approved for Generation 3 cars from model year 2015, of which there are about 70,000.
Volkswagen has admitted to using software to trick U.S. emissions tests in the 2009?2015 Audi A3 and the VW Beetle, Golf, Jetta, and Passat TDI cars with 2.0-liter diesel engines?some 475,000 cars in total. There are also more than 83,000 3.0-liter Audi and VW vehicles from the 2009?2016 model years involved in the scandal; see our master post for the full list. As part of a $14.7 billion settlement between Volkswagen and consumers, reached in June, the German automaker has agreed to buy back or terminate leases on the affected cars. Alternatively, owners and lessees could choose to have them fixed. Regardless of whether owners choose to have their vehicles fixed or bought, they will receive cash payments ranging from $5100 to about $10,000 per vehicle, depending on the car’s age.
The approved fix of the Generation 3 cars involves installing a second nitrogen oxide (NOx) sensor and a new or replacement diesel-oxidation catalyst, CARB said in a release. “This modification will reduce excess emissions from the affected vehicle...