VOLKSWAGEN has been forced into recalling millions of vehicles across Europe after the company’s voluntary scheme for the removal of emission cheating software was rejected.
The carmaker yesterday said that affected diesel engined vehicles would be taken off the road following the intervention of German automotive watchdog, the Federal Motor Transport Authority, which ordered a mandatory recall of 2.4m vehicles.
Up to 1.2m cars in the UK are thought to be affected by the ongoing emissions scandal, and the European recall could see an escalation of the voluntary programme announced by VW here in the UK. The company has previously said 400,000 British vehicles will require changes to their fuel injection systems and others will need a software upgrade.
Yesterday VW’s UK boss Paul Willis refused to confirm that owners would receive compensation if the value of their vehicles were reduced by the effect of the emissions scandal. When pressed on the issue of compensation by Environmental Audit Committee MPs, he said: ‘I think it’s premature to have that discussion. I read in the press that it’s going to have an effect on vehicles but when I speak to other associations they tell me that may not be the case.’
He also told the Parliamentary select committee that VW would ‘do the right thing’ and ‘fully resolve’ the issue.
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