EPA Orders Volkswagen To Recall 482,000 Diesel Cars For Cheating On Emissions

Primalzer

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Sep 14, 2006
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The New York Times reports Volkswagen has been ordered by the Environmental Protection Agency to recall 482,000 diesel cars in the U.S. over software they say was intentionally designed to circumvent smog regulations.

The cars, all diesels from 2009 to 2015, have a “defeat device” programmed to detect when the car is undergoing official emissions testing that only then turns on the full emissions control systems, the Times reports.

These controls are turned off in other situations, leading to far greater emissions than VW let on — which is against the law. The devices were designed to conceal nitrogen oxide emissions.

It’s not immediately clear why VW had such a system on these cars, how the system detected official testing versus normal driving, or if the cars operated differently in normal driving when the defeat device was off. What effect did reducing NOx emissions have on fuel economy or performance?

“Using a defeat device in cars to evade clean air standards is illegal and a threat to public health,” said Cynthia Giles, the E.P.A.’s assistant administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance. “Working closely with the California Air Resources Board, E.P.A. is committed to making sure that all automakers play by the same rules. E.P.A. will continue to investigate these very serious violations.”

The state of California and the Justice Department are also investigating the violation, the paper reports.

The vehicles affected are the 2009-2015 diesel Jetta, Beetle, Golf, Passat and Audi A3.

More on this as we get it.

CHEATERS CHEATERS CHEATERS!!!
 

Flyn

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Turns out the government is more than slightly annoyed with VW screwing with emissions tests. Potential $18 Billion dollar fine. (Won't be that high but might be substantial). WTH was VW thinking?

Volkswagen can face civil penalties of $37,500 for each vehicle not in compliance with federal clean air rules. There are 482,000 four-cylinder VW and Audi diesel cars sold since 2008 involved in the allegations. If each car involved is found to be in noncompliance, the penalty could be $18 billion, an EPA official confirmed on the teleconference.

A U.S. Volkswagen spokesman said the company "is cooperating with the investigation; we are unable to comment further at this time."

The feature in question, which the EPA called a "defeat device," masks the true emissions only during testing and therefore when the cars are on the road they emit as much as 40 times the level of pollutants allowed under clean air rules meant to ensure public health is protected, Giles said.

Volkswagen could face $18 billion penalties from EPA
 

FirstWorldProblems

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Sep 6, 2006
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Nvm

The EPA, after receiving a tip from transportation researchers at West Virginia University, found “a sophisticated software algorithm” referred to as a “defeat device” that let the vehicles exceed lawful NOx emissions levels on the road while blocking them when the car detected it was undergoing EPA emissions testing
 

Turbocharged400sbc

3800 & 4T80E > ALL
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Jun 16, 2007
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if these bastards can do this shit... why cant they make newer cars features disablable/deletable....

backup camera fails, car asks if you want to disable/remove feature, boom no longer any error or video, that 600$ repair is now not necessary or detectable until the system detects a repair (battery hard disconnect etc)
sunroof jams, bcm set to delete it so that an idiot wont be able to try to open it (bcm ignores sunroof switch, or say a passenger window switch)

foglight harness and shit corroded away due to road salt/debris damage...delete it.

the full emissions drive cycle sucks for modern traffic anyways....

i wonder how many people will switch out their pcm with a JY one for the "recall" then swap theirs back in.... in 10 years people start hyping the FS ads "still has illegal pcm-rare-minty" :rofl:
 

Mr_Roboto

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if these bastards can do this shit... why cant they make newer cars features disablable/deletable....

backup camera fails, car asks if you want to disable/remove feature, boom no longer any error or video, that 600$ repair is now not necessary or detectable until the system detects a repair (battery hard disconnect etc)
sunroof jams, bcm set to delete it so that an idiot wont be able to try to open it (bcm ignores sunroof switch, or say a passenger window switch)

foglight harness and shit corroded away due to road salt/debris damage...delete it.

the full emissions drive cycle sucks for modern traffic anyways....

i wonder how many people will switch out their pcm with a JY one for the "recall" then swap theirs back in.... in 10 years people start hyping the FS ads "still has illegal pcm-rare-minty" :rofl:

You're probably not that far off, I think the rate of people chipping these cars will go up tremendously especially if the recall gets forced down people's throats.
 
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