Volkswagen AG is making progress settling U.S. legal claims from its emission-cheating scandal, but one challenge looms unresolved: What to do with the hundreds of thousands of diesel cars it is being forced to buy back?
The German automaker agreed last year to buy back about 500,000 diesels that it rigged to pass U.S. emissions tests if it can’t figure out a way to fix them. Except for a handful of 2015 models, VW dealers can’t sell the cars until — and unless — the company comes up with repairs to satisfy regulators. The costs for buying back or scrapping tainted diesel cars are part of the 22.6 billion euros ($23.9 billion) VW earmarked for expenses related to the scandal so far. VW Chief Executive Officer Matthias Mueller told journalists last month he's not aware of any further significant charges.
In the meantime, the company is hauling them to storage lots, such as ones at an abandoned NFL stadium outside Detroit, the Port of Baltimore and a decommissioned Air Force base in California.
About 15,000 VW owners are showing up at dealerships each week now to sell their Jettas, Golfs, Passats, Beetles and Audi A3s to the carmaker in exchange for payments of as much as $40,000. The agreement dictates that the cars can’t be put back on the road without being brought into environmental compliance, something that is almost certainly impractical for most of them. Even exporting them to countries with lesser emissions standards is forbidden.
In all, around 288,000 owners or lessees had opted for a buyback or early lease termination as of Feb. 18, of which 138,000 had been completed, according to the latest update filed with a court overseeing the settlement. Another 52,000 owners have said they want to keep their cars and are awaiting a fix.
>52,000 owners have said they want to keep their cars and are awaiting a fix
Ehat a bunch of retards. Hold on to your massively devalued piece of shit in hopes they'll neuter it and make it even worse? For what purpose?
Sebastian Rodriguez
>For what purpose? Presumably, they like the cars. There aren't a lot of great diesel passenger cars on the US market, and people get used to the range/mileage.
I'd assume some number of the people awaiting a fix are either hoping that they can get an AdBlue system installed that won't cripple the car's performance, or they're hoping to flash the car back to its "factory" configuration after getting the "fix" logged and passing smog.
Jacob Rogers
>I'd assume some number of the people awaiting a fix are either hoping that they can get an AdBlue system installed that won't cripple the car's performance, or they're hoping to flash the car back to its "factory" configuration after getting the "fix" logged and passing smog.
Why even bother getting the emissions fixed in the first place? Only a few super cucked placed actually test for emission in the US. Most people could just keep driving the cars.
Carson Morgan
>exporting them to countries with lesser emissions standards is forbidden.
why?
what does Ford / GM do with the millions of rental cars they produce?
Daniel Adams
>Even exporting them to countries with lesser emissions standards is forbidden. >reflash cars to abysmally shitty but emissions compliant tune >export to third world shithole >flash back to being a working car and sell them Typical Germans overthinking things.
Easton Johnson
There's nothing wrong with the cars you don't have to take the fix. They'll never be unable to be registered.
Angel Flores
There is nothing wrong with these cars. Without having to follow emission laws they got more power and fuel efficiency. As soon as VW "fixes" them, they can have the ECU flashed and go back to having decent power and fuel efficiency again.
Jacob Jenkins
Who wants to bet some owners are hoping an un-modified one will be worth boomerbux in a few years?
Nolan Gomez
>There is nothing wrong with these cars. Expect the fact that they can't pass emission test in the markets they're sold in.
Isaiah Rodriguez
Which no one cares about. You asked why 52,000 people still want their car, I answered.
Logan Baker
>they can't pass emission test oh no! what will we ever do!
probably not give a fuck about that liberal fucking scam.
Levi Anderson
fucking jews can go bankrupt for all I care.
Robert Rodriguez
I can't see why Veeky Forums is so butt hurt about this. Everyone bashes emissions for ""cucking"" cars, and how aftermarket tunes are sooooooo much better. But when an oem does map a car for better fuel economy AND better performance at the expense of emissions Veeky Forums becomes a bunch of panty wetting lib-tards.
Is it because vw is German and you yanks are jelly as fuck that no one in your disaster of an automotive industry has the guts to pull off an epic heist on an international scale?
Jose Mitchell
I couldn't give two shits about the emissions either, but I'm just pointing out this is what happens when you buy yurotrash
Luis Lee
>epic heist Yea 40 billion dollars down the drain is an epic heist because you wanna cheese emission tests
Jacob Foster
>disaster of an automotive industry isnt VW paying out the ass for causing their own disaster? are you high?
Isaiah Parker
>cheat system >people complain If America made a 2.0s car and sold it in Germany by cheating pedestrian safety, you'd be bitching too.
Carter Lee
>Which no one cares about. Obviously the regulations and the people who enforce them do
I bet vw cares because they get swamped with nearly going bankrupt on it
Justin Morales
I'd like to put your argument in simpler terms
I can't see how Veeky Forums gets so butt hurt about this for a group of people that delete their cats entirely "because racecar."
Cooper Bailey
I really wanted a new diesel VW. I love the way the cars drive and feel, and they have unmatched interiors. I walked into the VW dealership and asked about the diesels, not privy to the scandal that happened a week prior, and was met with a blank stare like "do you not watch the news?"
And no, I don't. I hope they come back soon. I really want one.
Jaxon Hill
Given Ford and GM have been caught doing the same thing when will they start with the buyback?
Nathaniel Murphy
They won't. Because Premier Trump is going to dismantle the EPA before any issue can be made of it
