VW stops US, Canadian sale of a few Audi models

Volkswagen said Monday it’s offering a goodwill package to current owners of its 2.0-liter diesels in the US and Puerto Rico.

A spokesman with the company says the automaker is making a similar offer to Canadian owners of the vehicles, which consists of combination of a prepaid Visa card and credits to be used at the owner’s discretion for any sales, service or auto upgrade at Volkswagen dealerships. Customers won’t be required to sign a release of claims in order to receive the package, said VW spokesman Darryll Harrison Jr. Individuals accepting the offer will not have to relinquish their right to participate in a class-action lawsuit against Volkswagen. The company said that criminal proceedings can’t be ruled out, depending on the findings, and that employees could be transferred or given other responsibilities.

Other angry VW owners who wrote to CNNMoney used terms like “slap in the face” and “scandalous” to describe the apologetic payout, which will come in the form of a gift card that can be used anywhere.

“We are providing this goodwill package as a first step towards regaining our customers’ trust”, said Michael Horn, the head of VW’s USA operations.

A few of the cases seek to have VW buy back the vehicles for the price the customers originally paid.

While owners thought VW might throw them money as a way to keep their business, those same owners were leery of small print included in any offer, especially concerning legal matters.

It has so far failed to explain how 11 million VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat diesel models worldwide were apparently fitted with the software, which activated emission controls during testing.

Last week, the EPA accused VW of cheating with different software on larger six-cylinder diesels in about 10,000 vehicles. In the report, it was alleged that the German manufacturer was installing a program in the engine’s computer that reduces power when the vehicle is tested. VW has made it clear that vehicles with the 3.0-liter V6 TDI are not eligible for the Goodwill Program because, “Volkswagen is now investigating the allegations regarding 3.0L V-6 engines set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board on November 2 and is cooperating fully with the agencies”.

No. Volkswagen is still figuring out how to fix all the affected vehicles.