Volkswagen AG took new steps on Monday to appease US customers and German union leaders unhappy with the company’s response to a sweeping emissions cheating scandal that claimed another high-profile e
Volkswagen AG took new steps on Monday to appease US customers and German union leaders unhappy with the company’s response to a sweeping emissions cheating scandal that claimed another high-profile executive.
Volkswagen is offering a $1,000 credit, of which half is to be spent at VW and Audi dealerships, to US owners of certain diesel models that do not comply with government emissions standards, VW’s US subsidiary said.
The automaker said eligible US owners of nearly 500,000 VW and Audi models equipped with two litre TDI diesel engines can apply to receive a $500 prepaid Visa card and a $500 dealership card, and three years of free roadside assistance services.
The move was latest attempt to pacify owners who have been frustrated by how VW plans to fix affected models. “I guess it’s a very small step in the right direction. But far from what I’d like to see in terms of being compensated,” said Jeff Slagle, a Golf owner in Connecticut. The scandal erupted in September when VW admitted it had rigged US tests for nitrogen oxide emissions. The crisis deepened last week when it said it had understated the carbon dioxide emissions in Europe.
