Consumer Reports Strips 'Recommended' Rating From VW TDIs
This is hardly the most severe fallout from Volkswagen admitting that it installed “defeat devices” on some of its diesel models to help pass emission tests, but it’s the first of many.
Consumer Reports announced Friday that it was stripping the models of its “recommended” rating until recall repair work was complete on those cars. The publication had bestowed the ratings on Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI and Passat TDI models.
On Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency said it would force VW to recall nearly 500,000 diesel cars for the illegal “defeat device” that could detect when it was being tested for emissions and reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 10 to 40 times beyond its normal operations. The EPA could fine VW up to $37,500 for each car that violates its standards, which could tally up to $18 billion in fines.
According to reports, VW issued a voluntary recall in 2014 for the emissions flap, but subsequent testing showed limited improvement.
The unusual action by the EPA of recalling cars could be followed by an unprecedented penalty for the automaker as the government cracks down on automakers.
According to the EPA, the cars can still be driven on U.S. roads and dealers may still sell the cars as new or used, but owners may not be able to register or renew registrations for the cars until the recall repair work is complete.
Pass the popcorn.
More by Aaron Cole
Comments
Join the conversation
I'd bet VW's exposure would be considerably more than $19 billion. Those are just the epa fines based on the idea of a massive, but limited screw up. With a fraud at this level, you have dozens, perhaps hundreds of felony wire fraud and mail fraud violations and of course, conspiracy. A pattern of felonious conduct for monetary gain is racketeering, with extra special punishment and of course treble damages to the victims. The state Attorney Generals get to "multi state" these guys---sue for fraud in a few dozen state courts friendly to the local boys in a coordinated way, with draconian punishment available in each one--essentially, impossible to defend. Then there is the possibility of felony time for a few executives. I wouldn't expect it to get that bad, but Eric Holder, the corporations' friend isn't AG anymore, and it's generally agreed that there is overcapacity, and this can cure it. They won't get off as cheap as GM.
This right-winger agrees with you.
Clean diesel was always a con-job - at its cleanest, WHEN THEY WERE CHEATING, it still wasn't as clean as essentially all hybrids and a lot of normal gas cars (SULEV, ULEV). I'm still amazed how many car guys were willfully blind to this. I was here defending hybrids against diesel FUD ten years ago, and it's like nothing has changed.
What gets me about diesel passenger cars is that crude oil does not let you choose between the amount of diesel and gas/petrol, it is fixed because they are different chains of carbon and diesel is about 18% heavier. Diesel car popularity in Europe in the 1990's lead to an imbalance of consumption which lead to a surplus of gas to give incentive to driving massive SUVs. Once you have a manual transmission, efficiency just comes for free in a smaller car, diesel is chasing a diminishing return in that regard.