VW plans massive recall to fix diesel engine software

Volkswagen is planning a major recall to refit millions of diesel-engined vehicles affected by software that can rig an exhaust-emission test.

New chief executive Matthias Müller says a project team has put together “a comprehensive action plan” and will inform customers shortly about refitting their vehicles.

In a letter to employees, Mr Müller and Bernd Osterloh, head of union-dominated works council, say they will make a thorough investigation of the emissions-cheating scandal.

“We will be relentless in getting to the bottom of this – fast, open and as decisively as possible,” they say.

In other developments, Volkswagen says it will submit its technical solutions to regulators and environmental authorities for approval in October, and set up websites to inform affected customers about their vehicles.

Volkswagen says about 11 million vehicles have the software installed but not necessarily activated. This includes some 2.1 million Audi cars and 1.2 million Skodas.

Mr Müller has also addressed a group of more than 1000 Volkswagen managers and called on them to change the corporate culture.

“Nothing can justify deception and manipulation,” he is reported to have said. “The aim is to regain lost confidence. This requires an uncompromising and consistent clarification,” and enhanced compliance and governance structures.

Volkswagen’s spokesman for technical issues, Christian Buhlmann, says the refitting will involve a change of software and possible hardware changes,

“[This will be] the biggest service action in the company’s history,” he says, though it has yet to be determined how many vehicles need refitting.

The software updating can be performed quickly while hardware changes involving replacement of a fuel injection pump will take “at most a few hours.”

Volkswagen expects that carbon dioxide emission and fuel consumption will rise as a result of the software switch but only minimally and still within environmental standards.

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