Volkswagen Oz deflects blame over diesel emissions fix

UPDATE 16/08/2016, 4:15pm: The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development has responded to Volkswagen's claims that it had delayed the recall of Australian vehicles affected by the diesel emissions scandal.

A spokesperson from the department said Volkswagen Australia’s initial submission did not address all matters around the recall. As such, the department requires further detail from the manufacturer in order to ensure full consumer confidence.

“This case is a particularly complex rectification process,” the spokesperson said.

“The emissions system in a vehicle is technically very complex, and significant test information is required to ensure that any emissions cheating software is removed.

“Any fix that changes the emissions control system has the potential to have negative impacts on the vehicle, especially in relation to fuel consumption and longevity of parts.”

The department would not provide a timeline on when or if Volkswagen’s proposed fix would be approved.

“This information is technically complex and the department has had to return to Volkswagen and approach vehicle regulators in other countries to obtain sufficient information to make an informed decision in the best interests of Australian vehicle owners,” the spokeswoman said.

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Volkswagen Group Australia has blamed the federal government for the delay in approving a recall to fix the software in about 70,000 vehicles affected by its Dieselgate emissions scandal.

Almost 12 months after the emissions debacle first emerged, thousands of Australian owners are still awaiting answers about how the company plans to rectify software which deliberately flouts international emission laws.

So far only the Amarok ute has been approved for local rectification work, with Volkswagen announcing a voluntary recall process for 8694 vehicles back in February, about 3500 of which have been fixed.

This week, Volkswagen shifted some of the blame for the delay in recalling its other models to the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development [DIRD], which oversees the approval process.

The German car-maker said it first filed details with the agency for rectification work of a further 70,000 vehicles more than two months ago. In Australia there are about 90,000 Volkswagen, Skoda and Audi vehicles affected in total.

Earlier this week, Volkswagen’s parent company in Germany received regulatory approval to carry out technical fixes on 460,000 diesel cars fitted with software that cheats emissions tests.

The approval from Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority applied to vehicles fitted with 1.2- and 1.6-litre EA189 engines (only the latter of which are sold in Australia) and takes the total number of vehicles cleared for repair globally to more than five million.

It is understood Australia is the only Euro 5 emissions-mandated nation in the world to question the independent software fix and the process around it.

"We have had the fixes endorsed for 75 per cent of our vehicles with the DIRD since June 2," said Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Michael Bartsch today.

"Those fixes are sitting for approval firmly in the court of the DIRD. We're working effectively with good relations with the DIRD and ACCC but the ball is now in their court to release those."

The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development is yet to respond to motoring.com.au's request for comment on the delay.

“The ball is in DIRD’s court. We’re keen to get on with it,” Volkswagen Australia spokesman Paul Pottinger said.

Volkswagen Group Australia said it would continue working with the government to deliver a software fix in Australia.

“The efficacy of the fix has been proved in the Amarok. We want action so that we can resolve this for our [other] customers,” Pottinger said.

“It [the proposed software fix] hasn’t been a problem elsewhere, it has been independently assessed.”

Volkswagen says the rectification requires only a software change and should take less than 30 minutes. No performance changes will occur, it claims.

Volkswagen told Australian media in April that it didn’t plan to offer any compensation over the scandal, as it has in the US, because local resale values are not affected and the recall does not alter the performance of its vehicles.

Today Bartsch said his company would vehemently defend any class action law suits related to Dieselgate in Australia, and stressed that while diesel strict US NOx laws were breached, no Australian standards were violated.

"The thing I want to make very clear is that as far as we are aware we have not breached any environmental standards with any of our cars [in Australia]."

The car-maker has established a dedicated customer line for affected 'Dieselgate' customers: 1800 504 076.