Volkswagen Won't Even Look at Its First-Quarter Earnings

Nope. Nuh-uh. Not gonna do it.

That was Volkswagen’s reaction to the idea of publishing its first-quarter results on time, according to Automotive News Europe, meaning the automaker’s current financial standing will be unknown until May 31.

The beleaguered company has bigger things to deal with in the near term — mainly, meeting the U.S. government’s April 21 deadline for a fix for vehicles caught up in the diesel emissions scandal. An April 21 deadline was issued last month by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, extending a missed deadline on a one-time-only basis.

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Volkswagen Sued by Dealer Group, Non-VW Diesel Producers Breath Sigh of Relief in Europe

The Napleton Automotive Group of Illinois tread a well-worn path to its lawyers yesterday, this time filing a suit against Volkswagen for damaging its business model.

Three Volkswagen dealerships owned by Napelton filed the suit, which seeks class-action status, alleging the automaker’s diesel emissions scandal amounts to “criminal racketeering,” Automotive News has reported.

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Volkswagen Prepares Its Pollution Penance

After its excessively dirty diesels polluted the nation’s air for years, Volkswagen is on the verge of making environmental reparations in the U.S. and state of California, Bloomberg reports.

The automaker is reportedly in talks with U.S authorities to create two remediation funds aimed at offsetting some of the environmental (and possibly legal) damage resulting from the diesel emissions scandal.

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Piston Slap: of Lemons and VW GTIs

Paul writes:

Good Morning Sajeev,

Today is my 2010 GTI’s 15th day in the shop (shocking, right?). Earlier this month it was in for 13 days, I had it back for 6, and I dropped it back off two days ago. The issue is somewhat strange, but in my mind, easily fixable. I have been getting CEL 2294 and when I run my own VCDS scans, I have been getting the following logs (edited down).

  • 004501 – Fuel Pressure Regulator Valve (N276)
  • P1195 – 000 – Open or Short to Ground – Intermittent
  • 008852 – Fuel Pressure Regulator Valve (N276)
  • P2294 – 000 – Open Circuit – Intermittent
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Piston Slap: Throwing (Ignition) Parts at a (Fuel) Problem?

Chris writes:

Hey Sajeev,

Long time lurker here. Since you asked so nice, here’s a problem that I haven’t managed to troubleshoot myself, and so far my own searches & forum postings haven’t nailed an answer. My girlfriend drives a 99 Mazda Protégé. If driven for an extremely short distance (like from the street into the garage), it will not start the next morning. It turns over just fine, but doesn’t catch.

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  • Jalop1991 There is no inflation. Everything is cheaper than it was 5 years ago. SHRIMP AND GRITS!
  • ChristianWimmer Exterior and interior look pretty flawless for such a high mileage car. To me this is an indication that it was well-maintained and driven responsibly. It’s not my cup of tea but it’s bound to find an enthusiastic owner out there.And with ANY car, always budget for maintenance.
  • Fred I'm a fan and watch every race. I've missed a few of the live races, but ESPN repeats them during more reasonable hours.
  • Mikesixes It has potential benefits, but it has potential risks, too. It has inevitable costs, both in the price of the car and in future maintenance. Cars with ABS and airbags have cost me at least 2000 bucks in repairs, and have never saved me from any accidents. I'd rather these features were optional, and let the insurance companies figure out whether they do any good or not, and adjust their rates accordingly.
  • Daniel Bridger Bidenomics working.