Owners of Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche vehicles with the Audi-designed and -built 3.0-liter turbo-diesel (TDI) V-6 probably paid a lot more for their vehicles than those who bought cars with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder TDI engine. But that didn?t earn them a place at the front of the line for a resolution to their portion of the VW/Audi emissions scandal. Now, finally, a settlement has been announced.
While technical solutions still aren?t set, and it could be the middle of 2017 before the remedy process begins, a partial settlement has been reached in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of California and its Air Resources Board (CARB), and those Volkswagen Group brands. Under the terms of the settlement, the Volkswagen Group brands will recall nearly 83,000 vehicles powered by the V-6 TDI engine, spanning the 2009 through 2016 model years. ?The settlement marks another significant step in holding Volkswagen accountable for cheating Americans out of the promise of cleaner air by selling vehicles equipped with defeat devices,? said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden. Meanwhile, Volkswagen Group of America president and CEO Hinrich Woebcken said: ?The agreement announced by the Court today between Volkswagen and U.S. environmental regulators is another important step forward in our efforts to make things right for our customers, and we support the efforts of the Court to bring a...