Three class actions filed Wednesday allege that General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Volkswagen and Mercedes knew of problems with exploding Takata air bag inflators yet waited years to issue recalls. The lawsuits cite company documents obtained through previous lawsuits. The plaintiffs allege that automakers were informed of inflator defects during tests but delayed taking action. Takata uses the chemical ammonium nitrate…
Volkswagen and U.S. environmental regulators have agreed to a plan for the German automaker to fix most of the diesel cars involved in its emissions cheating scandal. The company says the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board have approved the program, which involves about 326,000 VW cars sold between 2009 and 2014. That’s the first generation of…
Volkswagen has been ordered to pay a $2.8 billion criminal penalty in the United States for cheating on diesel emissions tests. Federal Judge Sean Cox in Detroit followed the deal negotiated by VW and the U.S. Justice Department. The sentence was ordered Friday, six weeks after the German automaker pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice. VW admits that…
Volkswagen says it is in “advanced talks” with United States authorities over a proposed settlement that contains $4.3 billion in criminal and civil fines over its diesel emissions scandal. The draft settlement would require the company to strengthen compliance efforts, including the appointment of an independent monitor. A company statement said Tuesday that under the proposal Volkswagen would agree to…
Volkswagen has reached a tentative deal with its U.S. dealers to compensate them for losses they said they suffered as a result of the company’s emissions cheating scandal, attorneys for the carmaker and dealers told a federal judge Thursday. The value of the settlement with the roughly 650 dealers was not disclosed, although Volkswagen said in a statement later that…
A federal judge is letting Volkswagen study the feasibility of scrapping 2-liter diesel cars that cheat on emissions tests. Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco signed an order Friday authorizing a test program involving 20 cars now owned by VW or its finance company. Breyer wrote that VW wants the tests so it can understand the process of scrapping the…
An attorney says Volkswagen believes it can fix some of the diesel vehicles caught up in the carmaker’s cheating emissions scandal without compromising their performance. Lawyer Robert Giuffra told a federal judge Thursday that Volkswagen believes the repair for vehicles with 3-liter engines wouldn’t be complicated and would bring them up to their original standard. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer…
