Judge warns VW diesel owners
Don’t strip vehicles before attempting company buyback
A federal judge warned Volkswagen owners not to strip parts out of their diesel vehicles before attempting to sell them back to the automaker through the its emissions settlement.
U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer’s warning came after reports on the automotive blog Jalopnik of a Cincinnati man who “completely stripped“his 2010 Golf before attempting to qualify for the buyback.
The man ripped out the “doors, seats, hood, bumpers, hatch and a big portion of the interior” before trying to turn in his vehicle, according to Jalopnik. VW rejected his attempt to qualify for the buyback, which would have been worth $14,897 to $15,557 for the typical 2010 VW Golf diesel.
Volkswagen Group agreed in June to the nearly $15 billion settlement with the U.S. government, California regulators and consumers over 2009-2016 model-year 2-liter diesel cars that violated emissions standards. Owners qualify for buybacks or a free fix and compensation, assuming VW can deliver a repair authorized by the Environmental Protection Agency. The 2-liter buybacks ranged from $12,500-$44,000, adjusted for mileage. Owners of 2-liter models who qualify for and receive a free repair will receive $5,100-$9,852 in payouts.
The judge also confirmed a class-action group of consumers has reached a settlement in principle with VW for owners of 3-liter, 6-cylinder diesel vehicles, including crossovers and SUVs, that also violated emissions standards. That $1 billion deal — reached by the Justice Department, EPA and California Air Resources Board — will deliver buybacks for the 20,000 owners of the 2009-2012 Volkswagen Touareg and 2009-2012 Audi Q7, as well as a free fix and payouts for 63,000 owners of 2013-2016 3-liter diesel models.