What's the news?
Volkswagen has been instructed by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) to begin remedial work on the 8.5 million vehicles in Europe that are affected by the emissions cheat code software in the EA 189 engines. As per all recall work, this is set to be carried out at no cost to the owners of these vehicles and Volkswagen bosses have gone on record to say that everything will be done to minimise any inconvenience to owners of affected cars.
Although no exact plan has been outlined it is believed that it could be much later in 2016 before the necessary fix will be ready to be rolled out across the dealer networks. According to sources some cars will require just a software update while some other models will require additional work possibly including the fitment of new diesel injectors. The total extent of what impact these modifications will have on either engine performance or fuel consumption have yet to be officially detailed but it is thought that some engines may see fuel consumption increase by five to ten per cent.
Before these technical solutions can be implemented they must first be presented to the relevant authorities and deemed acceptable. When this remedial work is then ready to be rolled out the respective brands involved, Audi, SEAT, Skoda and Volkswagen, will contact customers to arrange for this work to be done at a local dealer. Until a definitive timeline is announced for this both the KBA and Volkswagen Group clearly state that owners of affected cars can continue to use them in the same unrestricted fashion as before and there is no question as to the safety of the vehicle.
Anything else?
If you are still unsure as to whether your vehicle is affected you can find out by visiting a website setup by Volkswagen here.