Unless the EPA mandates those cars be fixed I don’t see how it’s an issue. They’ve been passing OBDII system scans since 2010 and that isn’t going to magically change just because VW confesses to something.
So if I put a giant balloon in my exhaust system, took it in to be tested, it passed and then I told them I cheated it would be okay?
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For now we just don’t know how this will be tackled. Which is why there is no recall as of yet.
The only hammer to come down is that they were ordered to halt sales of TDI cars.
I feel bad for the poor saps that work at the dealerships and are going to have to field an avalanche of hate from buyers.
Everyone knows someone that owns one of these cars at the least, so we’ll all get the intimate details from insiders when and if they start contacting them.
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Considering they haven’t done that in my state in over 5 years no one would have the equipment to even know where to start.
And if the computer said you passed I’m not sure anyone would care…
The EPA took this as a “good faith” thing that the automakers were self testing. Well they were - they were designing the systems to pass the EPA test. Just like studying for the SAT you don’t sit down and pour through your French notes… To me that’s as much on the EPA for being lazy about doing some up front real world testing as it is for VW gaming the system. Don’t mistake me, I think what VW did was wrong, but I also think the EPA needs to step up their side of things.
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Yeah, it just really blows.
Side note: I have a lot of sympathy for the owners. One of my vehicles last week had a tensioner (I think) for the timing belt made of plastic. It blew up and took out the engine, at 50k miles. Turns out yes, There Is Already A Class Action Lawsuit 
I’ll pay a bit more for a car that does what it advertises.
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Oh, I agree with that whole heartedly. But isn’t VW basically being accused of crib sheets, not studying?
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Broadly speaking, the EU standards has stricter CO (carbon monoxide) limits and the US has stricter NOx and particulate matter limits.
I would find it difficult to believe that these vehicles would meet Euro-4 requirements either since their NOx limits are only about 3.5x higher. That said, there have been independent tests showing vehicles failing EU NOx limits for years. Even the Euro-6 vehicles basically show no improvement from what was out there two decades ago.
Diesel, even modern diesel, is really dirty.
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More updates -
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From the third article:
If you go and look up the full text of the Clean Air Act and search for ‘defeat,’ you will come up with this very clear explanation explicitly states under the ‘Prohibited Acts’ section, that is it prohibited “for any person to manufacture or sell, or offer to sell, or install, any part or component intended for use with, or as part of, any motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine, where a principal effect of the part or component is to bypass, defeat, or render inoperative any device or element of design installed on or in a motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine in compliance with regulations under this subchapter, and where the person knows or should know that such part or component is being offered for sale or installed for such use or put to such use.”
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