Volkswagen to "refit" engines on 5 million diesels
Attempting to get ahead of a crisis that has it facing potentially hefty fines, government probes and millions of unhappy customers, Volkswagen on Tuesday said it was working out the details to correct millions of diesel cars outfitted with illegal emission-control software.
Customers will be informed "over the next few weeks and months" about planned steps to make sure the cars comply with air pollution regulations, the German carmaker said Tuesday in a statement.
With a new CEO at the helm, Volkswagen is trying to overtake of a controversy that became public on Sept. 18 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Volkswagen had to fix nearly half a million cars with software rigged to bypass standards for air pollution.
The company in the days that followed disclosed as many as 11 million cars worldwide were impacted, and it said it was setting aside $7.3 billion to cover the damage to its business and reputation.
In its most recent statement, Volkswagen said an internal review on Friday had established a "service procedure" is necessary for about five million vehicles from the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand of a total 11 million vehicles worldwide.
Vehicles in need of a refit carry Type EA 189 diesel engines and involve certain models and model years, including the sixth-generation Volkswagen Golf, the seventh-generation Volkswagen Passat or the first-generation Volkswgen Tiguan.