South Korea: 125000 Volkswagen diesel cars rigged emissions

The company admits that somehow its engineers installed software, called a “defeat device” into the affected vehicles to detect whether they were undergoing an emissions test, which would then turn on the car’s emissions controls in order to pass the test.

A spokesman for Volkswagen Korea could not be immediately reached.

Michael Horn, head of Volkswagen’s United States operations, said at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday: “I am personally hopeful we will be able to announce something soon about the remedies, and which we are discussing with the agencies in upcoming days”.

Most of the vehicles shortlisted for the recall will be Euro 5 cars with 2000 and 1600 cc diesel EA 189 engines.

In an indoor driving test last month, the emissions of the concerned vehicles recorded below the standard limit of 0.08 gram per kilometer, the ministry said.

The defeat device was meant to deactivate an emissions reduction device during road driving to allow the vehicle greater fuel efficiency.

At present South Korea’s Environment Ministry said it had not yet determined whether VW vehicles with the newer EA288 engine (primarily Euro 6 models) had rigged emissions. The company has to submit a recall plan by January 6, 2016.

Volkswagen was ordered to recall 125 522 diesel vehicles equipped with the same EA189 engines sold in South Korea between 2008 and 2015.

The government wants all the cars fixed for the sake of air quality.

“Today’s measures are similar to what many other countries are doing – Germany ordered a mandatory recall, while the USA has begun the process of figuring out the fine amount”, Samsung Securities analyst Esther Yim said. “It is too early to give exact schedules, but it could be early next year”.

Thousands of South Korean owners of Volkswagen models have joined a class-action lawsuit against Volkswagen, demanding compensation for purchases made under false circumstances. In Europe, Volkswagen estimates 800,000 cars with irregularities.