Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has approved Volkswagen’s technical solution for an additional 2.3 million polluting cars powered by the EA 189 1.6-litre TDI engines, out of the 8.5 million cars affected by the emission scandal in Europe.
Volkswagen said that the company has been given an official “go-ahead” the fix its EA 189 TDI engines for all sizes and the current vehicle owner will be notified over the coming weeks. All affected customers can then book their vehicle in for the modification at any authorised workshop at a time of their choosing.
The modification for the EA 189 1.6-litre TDI engines involves a software update. In addition, a so-called flow conditioner is being fixed directly upstream of the air mass meter. It will take less than an hour to fix and the customers will incur no costs as a result of the technical measures being carried out. On top of that, all customers are also being offered with a replacement means of transport, free of charge.
Just like all other models approved for the recall, the implementation of the technical solutions for these models causes no changes to fuel consumption levels, performance data or noise emissions. After the modification, the vehicles also fulfill all requirements and the applicable emissions standards, approved by the KBA.
Volkswagen also stated that the vehicles affected are technically safe and roadworthy to be driven between now and their modification.
The modification of vehicles with affected 2.0-litre TDI engines began back at the start of the year. The implementation of the technical solutions for affected models with EA 189 1.2-litre TDI engines is also under way. With KBA approval now having been given for the final engine size group as well, Volkswagen will shortly begin on the modification for vehicles with the affected EA 189 engine.
In Germany customers are being informed in a two-stage process. In stage one, all of the owners concerned were already notified earlier this year that their vehicle is affected by the modification programme through a letter. As soon as the technical solutions for a model have been approved and are available, the customers are being asked in a second letter to book their vehicle in with a dealer of their choice. This letter has now been sent to the owners of vehicles with the 1.6-litre TDI engine as well.
