December 19, 2015
December 19, 2015 - PRESSADVANTAGE -
One of the largest scandals in the history of car industry was made public in September, 2015. Now, the German car manufacturer faces more than 500 lawsuits in the U.S.
In September, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that over the years 2009-2015, VW had installed “defeat device” software on certain VW Beetle, VW Golf, VW Jetta, VW Passat and Audi diesel vehicles. This software is able to detect when the car is undergoing emissions test and lowers the emissions accordingly to improve results. This cheating software was installed on more than 500,000 diesel cars in the U.S.
In the test mode, the VW cars fitted with defeat devices are fully compliant with federal emissions standards. But when driving normally, the engines switch to a separate mode. The “normal” mode will presumably deliver higher mileage and power, but will also let the car to emit health-damaging nitrogen oxide (Nox) up to 40 times more than permitted by the Clean Air Act.
A growing number of frustrated VW customers now complain over deceptive advertising. Environmentally conscious drivers feel deceived because they bought their diesel cars believing the VW's promotion of the environmental advantages of new “clean” diesel technology. Now, many green-minded customers own a diesel car they would never have considered if they had known the true emissions levels. Those who preferred a VW diesel car for the fuel mileage feel duped as well. That is, if a fitted VW is driven on the road, the defeat software uses a ‘road calibration’, which favors engine performance and the fuel economy is therefore likely to be reduced. In short, VW buyers have not got what they paid for, and even worse, they have to watch their cars depreciate.
Many disappointed VW owners seek to obtain monetary compensation for the reduced value of their cars. There are over 30 class action lawsuits against VW in progress already, and VW customers whose cars could be affected by the scandal are advised to seek legal advice in order to assess their eligibility and options to get monetary compensation for the VW diesel scandal.
As of right now, there are eight vehicle models that may have been manufactured with a defeat device. In the United States, these vehicles include:
2009-2015 Audi A3 2.0 L TDI
2009-2015 VW Beetle 2.0 L TDI
2009-2015 Beetle Convertible 2.0 L TDI
2009-2015 VW Golf 2.0 L TDI
2015 VW Golf Sportwagen 2.0 L TDI
2009-2015 VW Jetta 2.0 L TDI
2009-2014 Jetta Sportwagen 2.0 L TDI
2012-2015 VW Passat 2.0 L TDI
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For more information about VW Class Action Attorneys, contact the company here:
VW Class Action Attorneys
Angela Smith
415-671-6163
4305 Center Avenue
Fresno, CA 93704
