Volkswagen has been given eight months to complete the recall process.
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Noting that four carmakers in the country are being investigated at present, Geete said, “Over the next six months, we will carry out checks on emission levels of all diesel passenger vehicles in India”.
Ambuj Sharma, additional secretary in the ministry, said that the automaker may start the recall sometime this month and begin with “different engines, different models, different schedules”, The Economic Times reported.
Volkswagen’s emissions scandal crushed the brand’s USA sales in November, despite heavy discounts and a strong month for the overall auto industry.
ARAI is a collaborative association between the automotive industry and the ministry of heavy industries and public enterprises. Volkswagen of America announced today that they are recalling close to 71,000 new 2011 Jetta sedans for a potential problem with wiring that could cause the vehicle to shut off when the horn is used.
The fall reflected the halt in sales of diesel cars that manipulated pollution tests, the company said.
New Zealanders stung by Volkswagen’s global emissions scandal are having trouble trading in second-hand vehicles, says a lawyer organising legal action against the brand. The solutions for the European market involve a software update to fix the 2.0-litre engine, while the 1.6-litre (and the downsized 1.5-litre units for India) will require both a software update and a hardware change, the latter being a small plastic filter or a mesh that will be placed inside the engine’s air intake.
According to Volkswagen Group India, the first solutions are expected to be implemented from the first quarter of 2016 and will be continued in a step-wise manner.
The German manufacturer has said it will refit up to 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide that had software installed to cheat emissions testing, and has also admitted some employees acted criminally.
Giving details, Volkswagen Group India said from 2008 till end of November 2015, approximately 198,500 Volkswagen cars, 88,700 Skoda cars and 36,500 vehicles from Audi across various models sold in India had been equipped with the EA 189 engines, which include 1.2-litre, 1.5-litre, 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre diesel engines. All necessary technical measures would be implemented in the vehicles at no cost to the customers, it further said.
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All the customers will be informed directly by the respective brands.
