VW $1000 offer won’t clear scandal fumes, advocates say

The package includes three items: a $500 prepaid Visa card, a $500 Volkswagen Dealership Card, and three-years worth of free roadside assistance. The VW chief said that today’s package is ” a first step towards regaining our customers’ trust”. The scandal expanded last week, when the EPA accused VW of cheating with different software on larger six-cylinder diesels in about 10,000 vehicles. The Visa and dealership card are valid for one year after activation.

Meantime, VW has been working to find fixes for the issues surrounding emissions issue.

He said the “only solution” is for the automaker to buy back the cars.

VW insists the offer comes with no strings attached.

To get the gift cards and vouchers in the US, owners will not be required to sign anything giving up their right to sue Volkswagen or forcing them into arbitration, spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan.

The company, which is controlled by the Porsche and Piech families, said that future profit guidance could change depending on the outcome of the investigation.

The scandal has cost Volkswagen CEO Michael Winterkorn his job. If all owners accept it, it would cost the company about 0 million, which is part of the $7.4 billion Volkswagen has set aside to deal with the fallout of its scandal.

Europe’s largest auto maker said last week it understated the level of carbon-dioxide emissions and fuel use in a few cars to regulators, and its planned recall could involve about 800,000 more cars. The process to receive the package is simple – enter your VIN on VW’s diesel-specific site, provide contact information and your vehicle’s current mileage, and the package will be mailed to your house.

The company, which owns nearly a third of VW’s capital stock, saw profits for the nine months to 30 September slip 52% to €1.19bn (£848m).

NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement that Volkswagen’s programme appears to be a goodwill gesture and nothing more. Dealership inventory and vehicles owned by VW or sold as fleet sales vehicles are not eligible for the loyalty money, and VW specifically noted that the VW Group 3.0-liter V6 diesel engines that the EPA recently identified as emissions violators are not eligible, either. VW has denied those cars have software meant to deceive emission tests.