[ctviggen]

Anyone here have a VW diesel subject to the settlement?  If so, are you choosing to sell it back or get it fixed?  I've chosen to sell it back, as I've purchased (months ago, during a sale) a Chevy Volt to replace it. 

By the way, the tax consequences of the settlement are unclear.  It appears to me there shouldn't be any federal tax (for most people, and assuming you own the car, as I do), but there might be state tax -- but only if you use the proceeds to buy another car.  Then those proceeds would be taxable at the sales tax rate.  Normally, if you trade in your car on a new car, my limited understanding is that you pay sales tax on the difference between the cost of the new car and the trade in value.  For some states, such as CT, they will now tax the amount you use from the settlement to put toward a new car as sales tax.  I'm not sure about state income tax. 

[TomS]

Not yet for us. Still awaiting yet another hearing update today on our 3.0 Touareg TDI, after many, many continuances. We otherwise love the car, so hopefully there is a reasonable fix that doesn't affect performance and durability much, and we keep it.

Not much else you can say, other than VAG are idiots 
It is a shame for our local dealer, who is an exclusive VW store, no other lines, and is always great to deal with.

[ctviggen]

My car (a VW Jetta Sportwagen) has been very reliable.  The only negative I can say about it is that maintenance is expensive.  For instance, to flush the DSG transmission costs some obscene amount.

I find it very strange that VW got into this, as they're primarily German, and the Germans are very straight shooters.  When I was in Germany for a visit, none of them would even jaywalk.  Coming from the NYC area, I couldn't take it.  I so wanted to walk across the road when I was not supposed to. 

I forgot that the 3.0 L still has no settlement. 

[TomS]

Sadly, greed and corruption know no boundaries.

[sts9fan]

I am going to sell it back but will wait until the last min. I think it's fall 2018. I'm all registered with the settlement so I rather get a few more years out of it. It is sort of a bummer that all these cars will just be crushed.

[ctviggen]

I am going to sell it back but will wait until the last min. I think it's fall 2018. I'm all registered with the settlement so I rather get a few more years out of it. It is sort of a bummer that all these cars will just be crushed.

I've read that's the most financially sound way to do it.  For me, though, I already have another car and nowhere to put the VW.  It's sitting outside taking up space.  I still use it to drive to and from work and for other trips (no need to put miles on the Volt).  But even now, my Volt has snow tires on it and the VW does not, and the high performance tires on the VW are not good in the snow.  I am waiting to sell it back.

It is a bummer that they'll be crushed. They really are well made and reliable cars (at least mine is/was). 

[sts9fan]

Have you guys seen the pictures of people turning in stripped cars?

My other car is a Leaf that is getting off lease in April. I will be replacing it with a Bolt.
After that I'll figure out what to replace the VW with.

[DaveC113]

My car (a VW Jetta Sportwagen) has been very reliable.  The only negative I can say about it is that maintenance is expensive.  For instance, to flush the DSG transmission costs some obscene amount.

I find it very strange that VW got into this, as they're primarily German, and the Germans are very straight shooters.  When I was in Germany for a visit, none of them would even jaywalk.  Coming from the NYC area, I couldn't take it.  I so wanted to walk across the road when I was not supposed to. 

I forgot that the 3.0 L still has no settlement.

Lol, reminds me of visiting my sister in Hamburg, we were checking out an "alternative" part of town, lots of folks with tats, etc... it was weird watching them all wait for the light, nobody even thought of jaywalking. Drivers are very unsympathetic though, I was walking along a road in the country and the cars that went by didn't move over to give me room, not an inch. My sister said you're not really supposed to walk there so the drivers just barely avoid hitting you. One nice thing was the bike-only routes, you're not even allowed to walk on them, if a bike hits you it's the pedestrians fault because they shouldn't be on the bike path. Really nice people though... I was also kinda shocked to hear Germans would even think of doing something like cheat on emissions.

[hikerneil]

I have a 2013 Audi Q7 with a 3 liter TDI.  I see they finally settled a deal for these engines today.  I am anxious to hear what they consider as "Substantial Compensation" for the owners............    Maybe it will be enough for some new hardware in the music room.

Hikerneil

[guf]

Have you guys seen the pictures of people turning in stripped cars?

My other car is a Leaf that is getting off lease in April. I will be replacing it with a Bolt.
After that I'll figure out what to replace the VW with.

yeah funny huh? That one yesterday on Jalopnik? My TDI is scheduled to get bought back on the 5th oaf Jan, and I have a Fiat 500e lease up this week. I'm looking for something plug in to replace them. I'm probably going for the i3. I'm excited to get something new. I feel like VW is compensating us well.

[charmerci]

Lol, reminds me of visiting my sister in Hamburg, we were checking out an "alternative" part of town, lots of folks with tats, etc... it was weird watching them all wait for the light, nobody even thought of jaywalking. Drivers are very unsympathetic though, I was walking along a road in the country and the cars that went by didn't move over to give me room, not an inch. My sister said you're not really supposed to walk there so the drivers just barely avoid hitting you. One nice thing was the bike-only routes, you're not even allowed to walk on them, if a bike hits you it's the pedestrians fault because they shouldn't be on the bike path. Really nice people though... I was also kinda shocked to hear Germans would even think of doing something like cheat on emissions.

I was visiting a friend in a small town in Germany. It was an early weekend morning waiting at a stop light with several strangers with not a vehicle in sight. We were talking about this and he said to me, "if you start walking across, everyone will follow." So I looked both ways and started across, before I put my second foot down, everyone was crossing the street against the red light! 

[DaveC113]

I was visiting a friend in a small town in Germany. It was an early weekend morning waiting at a stop light with several strangers with not a vehicle in sight. We were talking about this and he said to me, "if you start walking across, everyone will follow." So I looked both ways and started across, before I put my second foot down, everyone was crossing the street against the red light! 

 

I do see that pretty often in Boulder too, people all standing there, one guy looks around and decides to go, everyone follows...

I really like Europe, I worked in Denmark for a while too... short work days, Danes are great to work with, lots of vacation time, great food, beautiful women... good luck learning to speak the language though! I could see living in the Copenhagen area, it's so nice.

[FullRangeMan]

At the start of this case VW claimed that other major automakers did the same, but this important detail seems to have been muffled.

[ctviggen]

At the start of this case VW claimed that other major automakers did the same, but this important detail seems to have been muffled.

I 100% think other manufacturers are doing things to modify their reported gas mileage.  Now, whether they are going to the extent of VW (modifying the actual workings of the ECU), I don't know.

I have a conspiracy-theorist friend who thinks the US knew about VW and other manufacturers, but went after VW when VW opened a plant in Russia.  True or not?  I have no idea. 

Although the US is also going after other companies:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/11/03/kia-hyundai-mpg-epa/18410431/

Would the US go after a US company such as Ford, Chrysler, GM?  That's a good question.

[ctviggen]

Although that link says they made Ford revise some EPA estimates.

[orientalexpress]

I doubt it,look at Michigan state banning  :nono:Tesla from opening a dealer in there state.I like to see California doing the same thing to them but Cali have to much class to do that.

[CSI]

My car (a VW Jetta Sportwagen) has been very reliable.  The only negative I can say about it is that maintenance is expensive.  For instance, to flush the DSG transmission costs some obscene amount.

I find it very strange that VW got into this, as they're primarily German, and the Germans are very straight shooters.  When I was in Germany for a visit, none of them would even jaywalk.  Coming from the NYC area, I couldn't take it.  I so wanted to walk across the road when I was not supposed to. 

I forgot that the 3.0 L still has no settlement.

Germans have a different attitude toward motorists and their relationship to pedestrians. My brother in law lived in Germany in the late 60's. He told me about a neighbor, a German, who accidentally killed a woman who stepped out between parked cars attempting to jaywalk. The police suggested that he try to collect money from the victims family to repair his car. The city also fined her family to recover the money spent to dispatch emergency personnel!

[DaveC113]

At the start of this case VW claimed that other major automakers did the same, but this important detail seems to have been muffled.

VW seems to be the only auto company that offered diesels in smaller vehicles and I always wondered how they could do this while nobody else could figure out how to do it cost effectively. Seems like a big hint that may not be true, or maybe it is wrt other classes of vehicles. One thing is for sure, their duplicity allowed them to corner the market on smaller diesels.

I think Dodge/Cummins is currently being investigated for similar issues, so who knows...

[FullRangeMan]

VW seems to be the only auto company that offered diesels in smaller vehicles and I always wondered how they could do this while nobody else could figure out how to do it cost effectively. Seems like a big hint that may not be true, or maybe it is wrt other classes of vehicles. One thing is for sure, their duplicity allowed them to corner the market on smaller diesels.

I think Dodge/Cummins is currently being investigated for similar issues, so who knows...

BMW Mini have a Diesel version.

[JLM]

I find this whole issue perplexing.  Isn't Europe full of little diesel cars (to compensate for high fuel prices)?  And aren't they more green thinking than us?  Perhaps they more willing to give up performance in small cars.  I was in Finland in the 70's (hardly mainstream Europe and that was 40+ years ago) but the family car was the last transportation alternative anyone thought of after walking, bicycling, or taking the bus.  In fact I stayed with a family, they picked me up at the airport, then didn't see the car for 2 weeks.  I thought they'd borrowed it. 

I bought a new 1978 VW rabbit (that burned leaded gas) - good little car for it's day, but sold it a year later after buying what I really wanted, a Saab. Back then the diesels were in very high demand, folks put money down to get a place in line, then sold their place at a profit.  They got great mileage but clattered horribly.