The Federal Motor Transport
Authority (KBA) of Germany has given the go-ahead for the modification of
around 1.1 million further vehicles of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars,
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Audi brands. Owners of Volkswagen Tiguan
models and of the Caddy from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles – all fitted with
EA 189 2.0-litre TDI engines – are being informed and can then agree individual
service appointments. The KBA has thus so far approved more than 2.5 million
Group vehicles for the modification.
Volkswagen had been in the eye of
a storm ever since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California
Air Resources Board (EPA and CARB) in 2015 had revealed their findings that
while testing diesel cars of the Volkswagen Group they detected manipulations
that violate American environmental standards.
On September 22, 2015 Volkswagen had
admitted that, “Discrepancies relate to vehicles with Type EA 189 engines,
involving some eleven million vehicles worldwide. A noticeable deviation
between bench test results and actual road use was established solely for this
type of engine....”
In the case of the Volkswagen
Passenger Cars brand the technical solutions for several affected 2.0 TDI
engine variants used in the high-volume Golf, Passat and Tiguan ranges have
been confirmed. The recall process has also begun at Audi. The KBA's go-ahead
has been received for a series of A4, A5, A6 and Q5 vehicles with EA 189 2.0-litre
TDI engines. For the SEAT Exeo with the same engine model the modification work
is also already underway as planned.
All of the affected Group
brands' partner businesses are prepared in both organisational and technical
terms for carrying out the required software update. Trained service staff are
at the customers' disposal to make appointments and answer any questions
related to the service process, a press note from Volkswagen stated.
Precisely how the technical
solutions are being carried out within the EU and in the rest of the world (outside
of the USA and Canada) is dependent on the official stipulations in each
individual country.