Volkswagen Is Ordered to Recall Nearly 500,000 Vehicles Over Emissions Software

[FlatSix911]

More executive changes ahead ...

'Winfried Vahland, the 58-year-old chief executive of the auto maker’s Skoda Auto business and CEO-designate of a new organization that would group its U.S., Canadian and Mexican operations, resigned abruptly. The 25-year Volkswagen veteran couldn’t agree with top executives on a plan to overhaul the U.S. business after weeks of intense negotiations, people familiar with the matter said.

“Differences of opinion over how to shape the new corporate region led to this decision,” Skoda said in a statement, adding that his departure wasn’t related to the diesel-emissions scandal weighing on the company and its U.S. business. The company has acknowledged using software to dupe U.S. emissions tests of its diesel-powered cars between 2009 and 2015.

Mr. Vahland also had personal reasons to turn down one of the company’s top jobs. He was passed over for CEO of Volkswagen last month. The post went instead to Matthias Müller, who had been head of the company’s Porsche sports-car business. After years of senior posts, including substantial foreign travel, Mr. Vahland and his family weren’t enthusiastic about relocating to the U.S., people close to him said...

The loss of Mr. Vahland is a setback for the car maker at a time when several of the company’s top executives, including former CEO Martin Winterkorn, have resigned or have been suspended amid the diesel-emissions crisis. His resignation was such a surprise that there is no current alternative, people close to the company said...'

http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-north-america-chief-designate-quits-1444827950

 

[astrotoy]

Looks like I will have a front row seat to what VW will do about their diesels. Just got back from LA visiting our grandkids and saw that our daughter and son-in-law have a new (used) car. They switched their 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid for a 2013 VW Golf TDI in August! They have already received a letter of apology from the VW North American President, but nothing more. I asked my son-in-law why the switch. He said he wanted to get better economy than the Honda with more pep and the VW diesel fit the bill. Now he knows why!

 

[mspohr]

Trouble for 2016 US models also.
Volkswagen: secret emissions tool in 2016 cars is separate from 'defeat' cheat | Business | The Guardian


Volkswagen confirmed to the Associated Press on Tuesday that the “auxiliary emissions control device” at issue operates differently from the “defeat” software included in the company’s 2009 to 2015 models and revealed last month.
“We have a long list of questions for VW about this,” said Janet McCabe, acting assistant EPA administrator for air quality. “We’re getting some answers from them, but we do not have all the answers yet.”
The delay means that thousands of 2016 Beetles, Golfs and Jettas will remain quarantined in US ports until a fix can be developed, approved and implemented. Diesel versions of the Passat sedan manufactured at the company’s plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, also are on hold.

 

[TEG]

http://kirillklip.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/dieselgate-they-all-are-here-volkswagen.html#

 

[SmartElectric]

Volkswagen crash closes Knight St. after car hits tree, ejects engine - British Columbia - CBC News

Sorry to the driver who is seriously injured (or worse), here is the top comment on the story:

That was probably a German VW software glitch that ejects the motor if it senses its about to be tested for emissions.

 

[TEG]

Urea

 

[mspohr]

VW emissions cheat estimated to cause 59 premature US deaths
VW emissions cheat estimated to cause 59 premature US deaths | Environment | The Guardian

"Nearly 60 people will die prematurely from the excess air pollution caused by Volkswagen cheating emissions tests in the US, according to a new study.The first peer-reviewed estimate of the public health impacts of VW’s rigging of tests for 482,000 diesel cars in the US found that if the company recalls all the affected cars by the end of 2016, more than 130 further early deaths could be avoided.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters on Thursday, concluded that most of the 59 premature deaths were caused by particulate pollution (87%) with the rest caused by ozone exposure (13%). Most of the deaths were estimated to have occurred on the east and west coasts of the US.
“The very small number of diesels in the US, and the density of European cities means people are much more exposed to traffic emissions [in Europe] than in the US,” he said. He added that the study may have underestimated the total number of premature deaths because it did not consider the direct impact of the toxic gas nitrogen dioxide.

Here's the kicker:
"It is clear, therefore, that we need a commitment to routine, independent real-world testing on all cars.”
On Wednesday, carmakers in Europe won a one-year delay to such real-world tests, despite the VW revelations.

 

[FlatSix911]

Volkswagen, Hit by Emissions Scandal, Posts Its First Loss in Years

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/29/business/international/volkswagen-earnings-q3.html?_r=0

The earnings report on Wednesday provided a first taste of the financial cost to Volkswagen of its past behavior.
The company said it had a net loss of $1.84 billion in the third quarter as it set aside a huge sum to help cover the expected damage from the company’s emissions-cheating scandal.

It was the first quarterly loss in as long as anyone could remember. A company spokesman said that internal records went back only to 2001.
Previously, Volkswagen did not report quarterly earnings. The loss, totaling 1.67 billion euros, was in contrast to a profit of €2.97 billion in the third quarter of 2014.
Volkswagen subtracted €6.7 billion from profit to cover the expense of recalling and repairing about nine million cars in Europe and the United States equipped with the illegal software.

 

[SmartElectric]

Urea

This video comes off sounding good, but the presenter completely misrepresents the actual VW diesel scandal issue.
See the top comment on the video for a correction.

 

[TEG]

This video comes off sounding good, but the presenter completely misrepresents the actual VW diesel scandal issue.
See the top comment on the video for a correction.

This? :

It's not that Volkswagen was trying to save customers from wasting urea it was that they claimed it wasn't even needed on their smaller diesel engines so they were produced without this urea tank. While the smaller engines like their 4 cyl models can run in lower emissions without the need for urea, the engine must sacrifice efficiency and power to do so which would not please customers. Their solution seems to be that if the vehicle detected a test, it put the engine settings to a low emission mode with low horsepower and reduced fuel efficiency but great emissions. Outside of the test, the engine ran as normal, producing power, fuel economy, AND NoX emissions. This wasn't just to save their smaller diesel customers from needing urea though, it also allowed them to simplify the exhaust and catalyst systems, saving them a whole lot of money since these systems usually add several thousand dollars to the cost of the vehicle. It's a bit like advertising a vehicle gets 20% more horsepower but keeping secret that it only produces that power on a dynamo and never while actually driving. However, you can fool a test but you can't fool chemistry. When NoX levels started to increase in urban areas, people began to suspect diesel might be the cause and for whatever reason, they decided to test the vehicle emissions under actual driving conditions, vehicle in drive with a driver in the seat operating it, and when they compared those emissions to what they measured when the car was parked and being tested, they found vastly different numbers. By carefully testing this they concluded that the engine computer knew it was being tested, and had been configured to change engine performance to beat the test.

 

[RichardL]

More violations - this time all the 3 liter engines, like in the Cayenne:

http://www3.epa.gov/otaq/cert/violations.htm

 

[tom66]

VW is f*cked. They have really screwed up. I don't know if VW will ever be able to successfully market diesel in the US again. The 3L diesel engine is VERY popular in Audi and large VWs in the UK, and they're already recalling over 1 million of those here (just the 2.0 & 1.6 TDI), 11 million total.

 

[Canuck]

VW is f*cked. They have really screwed up. I don't know if VW will ever be able to successfully market diesel in the US again. The 3L diesel engine is VERY popular in Audi and large VWs in the UK, and they're already recalling over 1 million of those here, 11 million total.

I know someone with an affected vehicle. He has heard noting from VW about it so he recently went to his VW dealer to ask about what is going to be done and they had no answers for him. He is concerned about losing the torque and speed off the line, which is one of the main reasons he bought the car, but he also doesn't like the fact that he is driving around with a vehicle polluting significantly more than he was lead to believe. Yet no one has any answers for him about what to do. In fact, he said the people at VW were quite rude to him for even voicing his concerns. I told him that's probably because the only people who walk through the showroom doors these days are people like him and they know their days are numbered.

 

[VolkerP]

EPA says 10000 cars affected in U.S: Notice of Violation

I don't get it. Instead of coming out and cleaning up this mess all at once, VW waits for others to drag the full truth bit by bit into the light. This undermines the credibility of any step VW can honestly do to repair the damage.

They should be ruled to exchange every affected 2L diesel engine with a VW e-Golf and every 3L Cayenne with a Model X.

Please no mercy with these thugs. They shouldn't be allowed to hide behind "jobs" "reputation of German engineering" or any other value they trod on.

 

[tom66]

EPA says 10000 cars affected in U.S: Notice of Violation

I don't get it. Instead of coming out and cleaning up this mess all at once, VW waits for others to drag the full truth bit by bit into the light. This undermines the credibility of any step VW can honestly do to repair the damage.

They should be ruled to exchange every affected 2L diesel engine with a VW e-Golf and every 3L Cayenne with a Model X.

Please no mercy with these thugs. They shouldn't be allowed to hide behind "jobs" "reputation of German engineering" or any other value they trod on.

Yes, and the VW 3L TDI is really popular elsewhere. Diesel in luxobarges has never sold too well in the US, people like a big V6 or V8, but in the UK at least half of every big SUV I see is diesel due to lower cost of running, taxes, etc. BMW even has an M5 diesel SUV available here.

Going by an approx 20:1 ratio of US to EU sales, this could be something in the range of an additional 200,000 vehicles affected in EU, but is likely a LOT higher due to the popularity of diesel here in large SUVs.

I agree, I have lost all trust in VW. Admitting one engine has an issue and then saying another is fine would work to slowly cleani up their act, but then to be found out lying about the 3.0L engines too, it just leaves such a sour taste in the mouth, and it's such a step back from their promises of openness.

 

[omarsultan]

I don't get it. Instead of coming out and cleaning up this mess all at once, VW waits for others to drag the full truth bit by bit into the light. This undermines the credibility of any step VW can honestly do to repair the damage.

I think Meuller's quote is very telling:

a great need for change ... in how we communicate with each other, in how we collaborate within the group, in our understanding of leadership, in how we deal with problems and mistakes

I would guess they cannot come clean because their leadership does not have the full story yet and are not getting straight answers as everyone is in CYA mode. Its a shame - its going to take them a long time to recover from this.

 

[adiggs]

I think Meuller's quote is very telling:



I would guess they cannot come clean because their leadership does not have the full story yet and are not getting straight answers as everyone is in CYA mode. Its a shame - its going to take them a long time to recover from this.

Or only a short time as the company goes into bankruptcy court and leaves behind the liabilities that have accrued, while selling the plants, brands, technology and everything else that would be valuable to somebody somewhere to raise cash to clean up the mess and be able to pay at least some money on the liabilities.

I guess I'm saying (again) that this mess looks so big that I don't see a reasonable path for the VW we see today to successfully satisfy all of the liabilities without the help of bankruptcy court. Mostly because the scale of those liabilities is both unknown and seemingly without limit. The advantage to the enterprise to working through the liabilities and satisfying them in full with the help of a bankruptcy court looks to be too high to me, to do otherwise.


Over the weekend, I saw the first attempt at quantifying the number of incremental deaths attributable to the excess pollution generated by VW vehicles:
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/...ow-deadly-volkswagen-dieselgate-could-be.html

The methodology strikes me as being reasonable for a first effort, but not necessarily rigorous. Also no real attempt here to quantify the number of incremental emergency room visits and other increases in medical symptoms short of death.


What I really want to see come from this is the regulators feeling like they look like idiots (they do to me anyway), and in an effort to regain some modest bit of credibility, we suddenly have some random real world testing being conducted in addition to the current specified testing. And that it happens across all car makes and models. With the real end game that the car industry suddenly realizes we're serious and the only real technological approach to staying in business is to begin serious electrification efforts - a combination of hybrid-everything shorter term, with more and more volume of EVs as fast as they can get there.

A fellow can dream.

 

[gene]

I know someone with an affected vehicle. He has heard noting from VW about it so he recently went to his VW dealer to ask about what is going to be done and they had no answers for him. He is concerned about losing the torque and speed off the line, which is one of the main reasons he bought the car, but he also doesn't like the fact that he is driving around with a vehicle polluting significantly more than he was lead to believe. Yet no one has any answers for him about what to do. In fact, he said the people at VW were quite rude to him for even voicing his concerns. I told him that's probably because the only people who walk through the showroom doors these days are people like him and they know their days are numbered.

So here is that "Franchised Dealer" model that is all about protecting and standing up for the retail customers..

 

[Ugliest1]

The thing that bugs me is VW is calmly going about like butter wouldn't melt in their mouth -- yes they admitted some wrongdoing, but that was last month and all you hear now is "going electric to solve the problem" and "loyalty discount of $1,000" to buy a new TDI. They're moving on with the language. And the trouble is, they'll probably be successful at it. In my dreams, they get forced to buy back every single fraudulent car they sold to anyone.

Is it just jaded old crusty pessimist me, or is the semi-denial to the latest EPA charge that VW posted "[VW] wishes to emphasize that no software has been installed in the 3-liter V6 diesel power units to alter emissions characteristics in a forbidden manner." -- aren't there a hundred ways to sneak a defeat device into that sentence? Like, "oh, *forbidden*? No, the law only says *not allowed*. That's not being *forbidden*!" ...OR... "*Installed*? No no no, it was *downloaded*, not installed!!"

That's a rhetorical question. I'm going to continue to believe it's a conspiracy, no matter what anyone answers!

 

[thegruf]

for VW not to admit the 3.0 diesel also has emission cheating software is frankly astonishing so long after the original "problem" was highlighted.

It would take them less than a week, likely less than 24h to establish this internally.
VW are clearly desperately trying to pin this down to a few rogue personnel, and as limited as set of engines as they can get away with, in order to minimise costs and liabilities.

I truly hope the US authorities completely savage VAG for such a blatant fraud, they deserve it.
Let's face it VW have been mocking the regulators for years, effectively saying "we think you are too thick to find this cheat".

Ultimately this is a perfect opportunity for regulators to show they have teeth, are capable of acting, and are genuinely there to protect the consumer.

Lets face it, in the UK at least, we are entirely dependent on you guys in the US to lead the way on this, as our pathetic authorities are totally gutless.
There is a small smidgen of hope that if the US act strongly then other authorities can be compelled also to act.

I actually have a chip in this game, having genuinely run Audi 3.0TDi's (3 of them) based on their low pollution vs decent performance.
Had I known the truth I would probably have gone with an S5 instead.
Can't see me getting much compensation though.