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VW Dieselgate Scandal Takes A Turn For The Worse

(Credit: Volkswagen )

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VW Dieselgate Scandal Takes A Turn For The Worse

2014 Volkswagen Touareg TDI badge

2014 Volkswagen Touareg TDI badge (Credit: Volkswagen )

While Volkswagen has put on a nice face during the Detroit Auto Show, the company’s whole Dieselgate scandal has gotten even worse. The Germans have been pushing some electric and hybrid concept vehicles in the Motor City, but that doesn’t magically erase the trust that was violated, or mean that U.S. regulators or the media will suddenly back down.

Really, this latest turn of events is VW’s own fault as the company is grossly mismanaging the crisis. The Financial Times has pointed this out, citing business school professors in the United States about how the automaker is only making things worse by not just coming clean and sticking to its guns about making everything right.

Compounding everything, CARB recently shot down Volkswagen’s proposed plan to make its 2.0-liter TDI engines compliant. The powerful California agency said the automaker’s proposal didn’t go into enough detail about modifications installed on the vehicles, including how they would affect performance and fuel economy.

As National Public Radio pointed out, Matthias Muller, CEO of the VW Group, made a big mistake by insisting to media in Detroit that none of the company’s employees actually lied to the EPA. Instead, he said that employees “didn’t understand the question first.” After that, Muller claimed that VW has been working to rectify things since 2014. It’s kind of like watching a five year-old get caught taking cookies out of the jar, then saying they didn’t know what a cookie was.

Just to clear things up, Volkswagen employees admitted its deception to the EPA only a few months ago. That’s hardly 2014. VW tried to backpedal and ask NPR for an interview with Muller to clear things up, claiming the CEO was confused by reporters shouting out questions, but the damage has been done.

The New York Times ran a juicy piecerecently about how Volkswagen AG isn’t cooperating with state prosecutors in the US. The automaker doesn’t want to turn over different executive-level communications, saying they’re protected by privacy laws in Germany.

Of course, this is only making VW look more and more guilty. In the report, New York state’s attorney general had strong words for Volkswagen, saying its behavior made it appear that it isn’t trying to shed the culture that fueled the Dieselgate scandal.

While VW is mismanaging the Dieselgate crisis, TDI owners and even people who have gas-powered Volkswagens are left to watch their vehicle’s value continue to fall, wondering if and when they should jump ship. It honestly could be a while before there’s a solution, which is disappointing to say the least.

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