Volkswagen Issue Recall for 60k Cars Over Diesel Emissions

The floodgates have been open to repair more than 60,000 Volkswagens still caught up in the diesel emission scandal in Australia.

The local arm of the German car maker has finally been given clearance by the federal government to extend the voluntary recall of vehicles fitted with the EA189 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine beyond the 9000 Amarok utes that were first announced earlier this year.

That amounts to approximately 61,000 Volkswagen models, including the popular Golf hatchback and wagon, Passat family car, the previous-generation Tiguan SUV, EOS convertible and born-again Beetle, as well as related variants from sister brand Skoda such as the Octavia and Superb.

Volkswagen Australia says the software upgrade, which removes the controversial program designed to cheat an emission test on a rolling road that is specific to the US and replaces it with new engine control parameters that have no effect on the performance, fuel economy or harmful exhaust outputs, is immediately available for 35,000 vehicles in Australia with the remainder to be rectified within months.

The company will contact all owners of affected vehicles to notify them of the process, which will be carried out free of charge and should take no longer than one hour at a Volkswagen dealership.

"Major progress has been made in this process," said Volkswagen Group Australia's Managing Director, Michael Bartsch.

"Our confidence in this solution is based on the experience of thousands of Amarok owners in Australia and more than 1.7 million customers internationally who have had the update implemented. The type approval authorities in Europe conducted a review and certified that following the update, the fuel figures and Co2 emissions originally listed by the manufacturer were confirmed. Engine performance, maximum torque and noise emissions were unaffected."

Any owners that are still unsure if their vehicle is involved in the recall procedure can enter their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) via a link on the relevant brand websites (www.volkswagen.com.au, www.skoda.com.au and www.volkswagen-commercial.com.au) or contact a dedicated customer line on 1800 504 076.

While Volkswagen has been given clearance to fit the software upgrade to vehicles powered by the 2.0-litre engine, it has still be given the go-ahead for the remaining models fitted with a 1.6-litre turbo engine that not only requires the software but also a small hardware change. It expects to have this completed early in 2017.