Customers and dealers left in the dark after VW scandal

VEHICLE dealerships and consumer groups alike have expressed frustration at a lack of information from Volkswagen about the implications for customers of a scandal involving diesel cars rigged to pass US emissions tests.

“We are getting lots of phone calls asking ‘What is the likely impact of this?’ “said an insider at a major Volkswagen dealership in Britain, who declined to be named.

“But we’re not getting anything from Volkswagen, so we don’t have anything to pass on to them.”

The same was true in Frankfurt: a women at the reception desk of a VW dealership, who declined to give her name, said she had received many queries from diesel car drivers.

“But we haven’t got the ultimate answer because we haven’t got much information from Volkswagen,” she said.

The German group has set aside 6.5 billion (R102.3bn) to help cover the costs of the crisis and said that 11 million of its cars could be affected worldwide, but has not yet announced a recall.

VW said in a statement on its websites that it could not say which models and years of construction were affected, adding it would provide further information as soon as possible.

“It goes without saying that we will take full responsibility and cover costs for the necessary arrangements and measures. But this process will take time,” VW said.

Italian consumer group Altroconsumo said it, along with similar organisations in other European countries, was planning to write to Volkswagen demanding clear information on the situation immediately.

Klaus Mueller, head of the Federation of German Consumer Organisations, said Volkswagen must compensate any consumers affected and retrofit all affected vehicles.

“Volkswagen is called upon to comprehensively clear this up,” he said.

Lawyers have already brought class actions on behalf of scores of car owners in the US and Italian consumer group Codacons is collecting signatures for a potential suit. – Reuters