South Korea tells Volkswagen to recall more than 125000 cars

South Korea on Thursday ordered Volkswagen to recall more than 125,000 cars in the country, saying a government investigation had found that the German carmaker had illegally manipulated an emissions device in cars with older diesel engines.

While the carmakers dispute that the software is actually used to cheat on emissions testing, they admitted to regulators that all 2009 to 2016 models equipped with a 3-liter engine were fitted with the software.

The Asian peninsula nation has given the Volkswagen the biggest fine it has ever given a auto company, fining the company 14.1 billion won ($A1.7m).

The ministry launched its own test last month over whether six types of the diesel engine Volkswagen vehicles sold here met the emissions standards under outdoor and indoor driving tests.

Those companies to be included in the investigation include top names like BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Volvo, Peugeot and Ford, as well as South Korea’s Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia Motors. Volkswagen says it will take less than an hour to bring 1.6 and 2.0 liter turbodiesel engines in Europe into line with emissions rules.

Acting chairman of Audi Berthold Huber said in a joint statement with Audi’s works council head Peter Mosch that the company is shocked by the emissions news in the U.S.

The tests are scheduled to be completed by the end of April next year.

But the market share of imported vehicles fell from 15.7 percent in September to 12.34 percent in October, the lowest percentage since July 2013, according to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association. The vehicles to be recalled in South Korea are Euro 5 engine vehicles with 2,000cc and 1,600cc diesel EA189 engines, primarily sold over the period 2008-2015, including the popular Tiguan model. Audi, which made the engines for its vehicles as well as for Porsche and VW, will be discuss this with CARB over the next 45 days, he said.

Ingolstadt-based Audi has said it failed to notify authorities in the United States of three so-called auxiliary emissions control devices (AECD) in luxury models, one of which is classified there as a banned “defeat device”.