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VW TDI EPA Recall (2.0L and 3.0L)

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#3,661 ·
Ex-employee sues VW in U.S. over data deletion: German media reports | Reuters
A former employee of Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) U.S. subsidiary is suing the company for damages, claiming he was unlawfully fired after flagging internally what he alleged was illegal deletion of data, a group of German media outlets said on Sunday.

The former employee at Volkswagen Group of America's data processing center in Michigan is seeking unspecified damages for losing his job after he tried from Sept. 18 last year to stop a co-worker from deleting data, German broadcasters WDR and NDR as well as newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, which are working together on the case, cited court documents as saying.

However, the media reports said that the former VW employee was alleging that VW in the United States had destroyed evidence in relation to the emissions scandal.

The media reports said the deletions took place after a U.S. Department of Justice order to stop any "routine" data deletion at Volkswagen of America.

​
 
#3,662 ·
http://onforb.es/1LkA2SM << Forbes link for full (longish) article
Past week was one of the worst at Volkswagen, ever since the EPA ruined both VW’s Passat launch and VW’s Frankfurt Motor Show festivities on the same day with the disclosure of VW’s dieselgate cheats. This week, previously unbesmirched top managers were drawn into the scandal, VW engineers were caught improving the cheater code well after U.S. regulators caught wind, VW’s American CEO Michael Horn stepped down and out, American dealers revolted, plans of a partial retreat of Volkswagen from the U.S. market became known, and if that wasn’t PR disaster enough, Volkswagen’s home state and 2nd largest shareholder sharply criticized Volkswagen’s confused communication strategy.​
 
#3,664 ·
What if Michael Horn *was* somehow in on this. Or his immediate subordinates. That would help explain otherwise inexplicable actions by Wolfsburg. If Herndon tried to sweep something that big under the rug, it's all gonna come out eventually. :(

The thought that keeps rattling around in my mostly empty head is the VW brand might be so far gone here that they'll move most of their chips over to the Audi table. Audi is ripe for expansion.
 
#3,665 ·
Oregon TDI said:
The thought that keeps rattling around in my mostly empty head is the VW brand might be so far gone here that they'll move most of their chips over to the Audi table. Audi is ripe for expansion.
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To do that the right way, VW will need to build some Audi models at the Chattanooga plant.
 
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#3,666 ·
fincher said:
To do that the right way, VW will need to build some Audi models at the Chattanooga plant.
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Exactly. Also Puebla.

They could fold some VW models into the Audi camp by positioning them kind of like an Audi version of Scion. Beetle, Golf (including Golf R), Jetta, GTI, Sportwagen survive as ""VW by Audi". Budget Audis. Maybe Tiguan survives, also CrossBlue if it's priced right.

Passat & CC go away.

Touareg repositioned as Audi's entry SUV in that size class.

I dunno but if I'm in Wolfsburg and I'm looking at Audi, vs VW in the US, I see a whole lot quicker upside in Audi.

We're still just talking here. Probably won't happen Also yes I know Scion failed. ;)
 
#3,667 ·
#3,668 ·
I don't see a quicker upside with Audi, just a badge with a better rep here and on solid footing. Audi is on fire but I doubt the Passat/Jetta crowd steps up to an Audi. Instead, it will go elsewhere.

A Touareg disguised as an Audi is good, though.

If VW really chooses to leave this market, my heart would be with the dealers, salespeople, techs, etc. It would be a gutless, spineless move by VW.

We're kinda lucky to even have the Touareg here. I never got the impression VW in Germany even cared about it except to make sure it's features didn't step on the Audi/Porsche turf. Only with the 2016 model, do we see the same tech as found on a Hyundai Sante Fe. And, if it weren't for Horn & Co. pushing to get these features, the Touareg would be further behind.

What a friggin' mess.
 
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#3,669 ·
I'm in semi-regular contact with my VW dealer. I was there Friday to pick up some roof rack crossbars. While I loitered in the showroom I saw a memo taped to the wall near where the sales people tend to hang out. The gist of the memo was motivational:

"We are a team. A team succeeds only when its members are focused and striving for the team to succeed."

They swear they don't make anything on new VWs, after paying all the overhead: Sales commissions, service writers, service techs, nice showroom with amenities, accounting & finance specialists, lot attendants, courtesy shuttle service.

The real money is in the used vehicles. New VWs attract buyers, many of whom go with used. But the sale of new Golfs & Jettas probably don't make money.

Is it any surprise that an oil change costs $100 or that some $20 part costs $200?

Everyone likes to trash the dealers. They're a very easy target. But VWoA is pulling a lot of the dealer strings, and many of those strings seem to be broken.

It reminds me of movie theaters: They hope ticket sales will cover their basic operating expenses, but the real money is in the concession stand.

Sorry if I'm rambling.
 
#3,670 ·
Oregon TDI said:
Exactly. Also Puebla.

They could fold some VW models into the Audi camp by positioning them kind of like an Audi version of Scion. Beetle, Golf (including Golf R), Jetta, GTI, Sportwagen survive as ""VW by Audi". Budget Audis. Maybe Tiguan survives, also CrossBlue if it's priced right.

Passat & CC go away.

Touareg repositioned as Audi's entry SUV in that size class.

I dunno but if I'm in Wolfsburg and I'm looking at Audi, vs VW in the US, I see a whole lot quicker upside in Audi.

We're still just talking here. Probably won't happen Also yes I know Scion failed. ;)
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I could see the popular models - GTI and Golf R, Jetta Sportwagen Alltrack (if it comes here...and it should), and maybe Tiguan sold as VW in Audi showrooms as step-up cars, but the Touareg does already compete with the Q5...they are almost the same size, and they are the same price. If VW pulls out, I think the Touareg goes away in favor of an Audi gateway vehicle like the Q5, maybe dropped downmarket slightly.

They would then wait 10 years after offering knockout vehicles in Europe that the automotive press fawns over, before making a quiet re-emergence in the US.

The feigned outrage in Europe will disappear as soon as the American government's greener-than-thou indignation is satisfied.
 
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#3,671 ·
To me you have to get pretty high in the Audi models to get the interior amenities offered in SEL trim. Audi is more focused on "sporty" models and exterior styling. Interior wise You can get a SEL Passat for more than $5k less than a base A6. And a base A6 IMO is cheap inside.
 
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#3,672 ·
Stabone33 said:
... but the Touareg does already compete with the Q5...they are almost the same size, and they are the same price. If VW pulls out, I think the Touareg goes away in favor of an Audi gateway vehicle like the Q5, maybe dropped downmarket slightly.
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Q5 and Touareg are not in the same league if you want to tow. Also if you think the VW dealer charges big bucks for parts, maintenance, and repairs you clearly haven't been to an Audi dealer for those items. While we love my wife's A4, it will most likely be the last Audi we own. I also don't see VW pulling out of this market for very long. Maybe they do some brand engineering and come back into the US as Skoda?
 
#3,675 ·
2blueyam said:
Maybe they do some brand engineering and come back into the US as Skoda?
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It would take an awful lot of brand engineering to sell a Czech car in the US. Never happen.

Perhaps VW can make a gas-only line up work with adding the Alltrack and Crossblue. Drop the poor performers. If they can price competitively with Subaru (Outback), and Honda/Toyota /Ford (Highlander/Pilot/Explorer). The US loves SUVs/CUVs and AWD whether they need it or not. That's a tough market, with very good, very well selling competitors with extensive dealer networks.

TDI is dead. VW wrecked the moniker, and the technology. It won't be back. There are a lot of people like me who simply would not own a gas VW. Without TDI, there are better choices. Audi and Porsche will continue to do well, marketing to a more affluent, brand conscious buyer.
 
#3,676 ·
I agree the "usa mass market TDI" is dead. It was based on (1) clean emissions and (2) high mileage. Many of these customers were first time VW owners. Not only will those customers not be back, they are furious and embittered with VW. Almost none will ever buy a VW or Audi ever again.

VW can continue to sell the TDI as a boutique option. There is a small subset that will pay a high premium for a high torque engine. VW could probably even raise the price of the remaining TDI engines and still move the same low numbers of TDIs vs the number of TDIs that they could sell if they were priced equivalent to the gas engines.

Not wishing to rain on anyone's parade, but the North America Mass Market TDI plan is finished/dead/kaput.
 
#3,677 ·
I'm getting tired of hearing how "furious and embittered" all us diesel owners are. To be honest I have better things to worry about, as do most other people. It's just a car; sure it cost a bit more for diesel but it does give better mileage - that hasn't changed. They sent us $1000 and will compensate further if there's serious loss of value/performance. I'm really a long way from furious.

I guess some people are indignant at being "cheated" - I'm not. In business here it's dog-eat-dog and the ultimate prestige is winning and making money - ethics is a very minor concern commercially and socially unless it can be used to business/political advantage. You do what you have to - guaranteed there's hundreds of other ways many of us is being "cheated" right now by the companies we do business with, this one just got found out and they're foreign so nobody in government is going to step in to help like they might if this was a US automaker. Relax, it's the way the world works, like it or not.

I know at least two other TDI owners (Golfs) who only know vague stuff about the issue and were surprised when the $1000 letter/email turned up. I think it's easy here on an enthusiast forum and a long thread to blow this all out of proportion.
 
#3,678 ·
I don't think many of the Touareg owners are very upset. We have very few first time owners that bought a Touareg based on a TV commercial promising Clean/Green/High MPG. Most of the people in this forum seem to be more disappointed in VW then angry.

Also, the Long time non-Touareg VW owners seem to be taking it pretty well.

It is the first time VW owners that bought a TDI based on an advertising campaign. They are NOT happy.

I hope this clarifies who I think is upset and who is not.

However, the MASS market North America TDI plan is over. VW never sold the numbers of TDIs that they wanted before the disaster.

The small volume TDI market is fine, once VW gets EPA re-certification. Hence the TDI engine may become a higher cost boutique option in North America.
 
#3,680 ·
BeemerMikeTX said:
As soon as we tax diesel relative to gasoline the way they do in Europe, people would flock to diesels, just like they do in Europe. Higher torque, higher mileage, cheaper fuel . . . what's not to like? :)
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The typical US car commuter is not used to dealing with winter plug-in and fuel gelling, urea top-offs, special oil for EGRs, regen MPG drop-offs, accidental gas-in-diesel-tank fuel pump explosions, fuel/water separator and filter maintenance, and so on. I'd go so far as to say that most see their vehicle as an appliance, and the less frequently they have to fiddle with it, the better.

I also think most US car commuters don't tow or know the difference between HP and torque, and generally have little use for the advantages of diesel over gas, even if the price of gasoline becomes higher than diesel. Those who do are more likely to buy diesel trucks from GM/Ford, anyway.
 
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