• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • Biden Admin. Makes EV Credits Available to More Buyers
  • Week Ahead: Chicago … that Toddling Town
  • The Rearview Mirror: Tailfins Take Flight
  • TikTok Reveals the Hottest EVs in the Industry
  • Millions of Older Hyundai, Kia Owners May Face Trouble Getting Car Insurance
  • Bugatti Chiron Profilée Sets New Auction Sales Record
  • Another Delay for VinFast Customers
  • Ford Making Return to Formula One for 2026 Season
  • Ford CEO Farley “Frustrated” by $2 Billion Loss for 2022
  • Hyundai Ioniq 6 Achieves EPA-Estimated 361-Mile Range
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2023 Lexus GX 460 Black Line
    • A Week With: 2023 BMW X1 xDrive28i
    • A Week With: 2023 Kia Niro EV
    • A Week With: 2023 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy
    • A Week With: 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R 4x4 Super Crew
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 V-8
    • First Drive: 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport
    • A Week With: 2023 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe
    • A Week With: 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automobiles > VW Planning to Cut US Diesel Line-Up

        VW Planning to Cut US Diesel Line-Up

        Embattled German maker could face problems with planned recall.

        Paul A. Eisenstein
        Paul A. Eisenstein , Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
        Oct. 08, 2015
        VWoA CEO Michael Horn, shown with the CrossCoupe Concept, will testify before Congress.

        It is, by far, the largest seller of diesel passenger cars on the American market, but in the wake of its embarrassing and costly emissions scandal, Volkswagen is planning to cut back the number of diesel products it will offer in the U.S. – at least for the coming year.

        The decision to withdraw a request for regulators to certify some of its new models comes at the same time VW is working with the EPA to develop a fix for 482,000 diesels already sold in the States that were equipped with software designed to cheat on emissions tests. In real-world use, they may produce as much as 40 times the legal limit of pollutants such as smog-causing oxides of nitrogen.

        Stay in the Know!

        VW’s new CEO Matthias Mueller said this week the automaker plans to begin repairing the 11 million small diesels it sold worldwide with so-called “defeat device” software starting in January. But the U.S. recall could take longer to start. And there is concern that many current owners simply may refuse to get their vehicles repaired.

        (For more on the global VW diesel recall, Click Here.)

        With only a few exceptions, notably in the State of California, there is no way to actually force owners to respond to a recall. That’s one reason why even the most dangerous safety defects see barely 70% of vehicle owners eventually get their vehicles repaired. That slips to as low as 30% on less pressing safety issues, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And the response rate is typically lower for emissions-related recalls.

        “There is no enforcement mechanism that is tied to the consumer’s ability to continue driving the vehicle,” Jared Allen, a spokesman with the National Auto Dealers Association, told the Reuters news service.

        Diesel models, like this Audi A3, make up a major portion of VW's total U.S. sales.

        That said, federal regulators have been pressing manufacturers to take whatever steps possible to encourage more owners to fix their vehicles in a recall. Honda recently launched a national ad campaign related to airbag problems. General Motors offered financial incentives for motorists to respond to an ignition switch recall. And Fiat Chrysler is offering a buyback for some Ram pickups that have seen a low recall response rate.

        Before a recall for the diesel problem can begin, however, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must approve plans submitted by Volkswagen. That process has been complicated by the fact that the automaker has twice updated its 2.0-liter WA 189 diesel engine since it was introduced seven years ago. Each version likely will require a different fix, ranging from new software to updated hardware.

        “There are three groups of vehicles involved … Each will require a different remedy, but these remedies can only be our first step for our customers,” noted Michael Horn, CEO of Volkswagen of America, in written testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

        The emissions scandal could be an “existence-threatening issue,” warned the maker’s new chairman this past week. And with government investigations and consumer lawsuits mounting, observers expect the crisis to cost far more than the $7.3 billion VW has so far set aside.

        (Diesel scandal an “existence-threatening crisis,” warns new VW chairman. Click Here for more.)

        A question that likely will nag VW for some time is how the crisis will impact sales. A study by consulting firm AutoPacific, Inc. shows the vast majority of American motorists have lost respect for the German maker. Meanwhile, KelleyBlueBook reports the value of used VW diesels has plummeted on the auction market in recent weeks.

        VW has been the largest seller of diesels in the U.S., the vehicles accounting for about 25% of the products it sells in America. But that figure is all but certain to fall, at least in 2016, as the maker has chosen not to have some diesel models certified for the coming model-year.

        Whether it will again try to market a full line-up in subsequent years could depend upon the response its remaining models get in the wake of the diesel scandal.

        (2016 Chevrolet Colorado Diesel deserves a close look despite VW scandal. Click Here for the review.)

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published
        Biden drives Cadillac Lyriq at NAIAS 2022

        Biden Admin. Makes EV Credits Available to More Buyers

        Today
        ChevyCamaroZL1Welburn01.jpg

        Week Ahead: Chicago … that Toddling Town

        Today

        The Rearview Mirror: Tailfins Take Flight

        Feb. 04, 2023

        One response to “VW Planning to Cut US Diesel Line-Up”

        1. Dave says:
          October 8, 2015 at 1:04 pm

          The States could do it easily, no plate issued to any vehicle without recall compliance. And for the Feds, no road funds unless the States comply.

          Reply

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: