On Tuesday night Volkswagen opened up another chapter in its ongoing emissions scandal. VW disclosed that an additional 800,000 vehicles showed “irregularities,” adding fuel to the fire that has enveloped the global automaker. Previously, the defeat-device software used to deceptively pass emissions tests was thought to be installed only in the automaker’s diesel powered vehicles. Now, VW has admitted that the software was also included in some gas-powered models.
If you own a Volkswagen model that has the emissions defeat device, contact us to discuss your legal options. The call is free and confidential.
The announcement is the result of an internal investigation launched by VW on September 25th. The investigation was in response to the September 18th revelation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that emissions test defeating software had been installed in over 11 million VW vehicles worldwide.
These “irregularities” deepen the VW crisis as it broadens the type of emission pollutants involved in the scandal. The internal investigation was initially meant to investigate software hiding the levels of nitrogen oxide emitted by diesel vehicles. Instead VW discovered that carbon dioxide and fuel consumption were also “set too low during the CO2 certification process” for gas-powered models. This new report raises a litany of questions about whether the tens-of-millions of VW gas-powered vehicles worldwide will also be affected by the scandal.
Affected Models
The models affected by the newest announcement include Volkswagen’s Polo, Golf, and Passat and Audi’s A1 and A3 hatchback. Also included in the 800,000 the Skoda Octavia, the Seat Ibiza and the Seat Leon.
Is This The Whole Truth?
VW’s new CEO, Matthias Müller, has insisted that this latest announcement is a result of the company attempting to win back the public’s confidence.
“From the very start I have pushed hard for the relentless and comprehensive clarification of events. We will stop at nothing and nobody. This is a painful process, but it is our only alternative. For us, the only thing that counts is the truth. That is the basis for the fundamental realignment that Volkswagen needs.”
The Tuesday night revelation about its gas-powered models comes on the heels of the EPA announcement on Monday implicating Porsche diesel models in the scandal for the first time.
Monday’s announcement by the EPA alleged that VW installed defeat devices in an additional 10,000 vehicles. These models included the 2015 Porsche Cayenne, the 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8, A8L, Q5 and the 2014 VW Touareg. These vehicles had previously been untouched by the original scandal unveiled by the EPA in September.
VW In Legal Trouble
VW now finds itself on the defense once again. It is estimated that the fines and civil penalties from regulators could now be in excess of $20 billion. This is in addition to the unknown cost of recalling and potentially repairing or refitting the affected models to comply with emissions regulations. However, the biggest concern for VW is the ballooning cost of the increasing number of lawsuits being brought against the company by consumers and dealers worldwide.
Consumers who purchased one of the affected Volkswagen vehicles are encouraged to contact Morgan & Morgan to discuss their legal options.
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