Audi Australia and Volkswagen Australia have released more information about the Australian impact of the installation emissions defeat devices in some of their diesel-powered vehicles.
They have disclosed that a total of 91,177 vehicles sold in Australia (14,028 Audi; 54,745 VW passenger cars; 5,148 Skoda; 17,256 VW commercial vehicles) are affected.
Audi and Volkswagen have temporarily suspended the sale in Australia of certain new diesel-powered models in their range until the emissions issues are addressed in those models.
Australian owners of Audi and VW vehicles can now check if their vehicle is affected by the presence of an emissions defeat device but owners do not need to further action immediately and the vehicles remain safe to drive
The companies have said they will provide further information about corrective actions in due course.
‘The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is currently investigating whether Volkswagen and Audi exposed consumers to false, misleading or deceptive representations,’ said minister Paul Fletcher, who has responsibility for motor vehicles.
‘The Australian Government expects that Audi Australia and Volkswagen Australia will continue to work with it to ensure the public remains informed and appropriate steps are taken to rectify this issue.’
The presence of emissions defeat devices may be a breach of the Australian Design Rules under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989. The Australian Design Rules are also covered by Australian Consumer Law as mandatory safety standards.
Volkswagen and Audi owners with questions regarding their vehicles can refer to the Audi Australia or Volkswagen Australia websites or ring the helplines listed below:
VW Australia: www.volkswagen.com.au; www.volkswagen-commercial.com.au phone: 1800 607 822
Skoda: www.skoda.com.au phone: 1800 607 540
Audi Australia: www.audi.com.au phone: 1800 502 834
