Volkswagen Agrees to Pay $1.2B to 75K More Owners

Without a fix, that could rise to $4B
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 1, 2017 1:03 AM CST
Volkswagen Agrees to Pay $1.2B to Big-Diesel Owners
A Volkswagen Touareg diesel vehicle is tested in the EPA's test facility in Ann Arbor, Mich.   (Carlos Osorio)

Volkswagen has agreed to pay at least $1.2 billion in buybacks and compensation to settle claims from US owners of cars with larger diesel engines that the company rigged to cheat on emissions tests. And the company could pay even more—as much as $4 billion—if it can't come up with an acceptable fix for cars that can be repaired. The proposed settlement filed late Tuesday before Judge Charles R. Breyer in US District Court in San Francisco covers owners of some 75,000 Audi, Volkswagen, and Porsche cars with 3.0-liter diesel engines, the AP reports. Volkswagen has already agreed to a $15 billion settlement for some 500,000 smaller, 2.0-liter diesel engines.

Under Tuesday's proposed class-action settlement, owners of older models from 2009-2012, which cannot be fixed to meet pollution standards, will be offered buybacks or trade-ins plus compensation ranging from $7,755 to $13,880, according to a statement from owners' attorneys. People with newer cars from model years 2013-16, which can be fixed, will get compensation of $7,039 to $16,114. That's if VW can come up with a fix approved by US environmental authorities by an agreed deadline. If not, buybacks could push the cost as high as the $4.04 billion laid out in court documents. The deal must still get court approval to take effect. (In January, the FBI arrested a Volkswagen executive.)

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