Volkswagen Recall in Brandon

If you are driving one of these vehicles, call us now for a free consultation about your options as a vehicle owner! The affected diesel models include:

Jetta (2009-2015)

Jetta Sportswagen (2009-2014)

Beetle (2012– 2015)

Beetle Convertible (2012-2015)

Audi A3 (2010-2015)

Golf (2010-2015)

Golf Sportwagen (2015)

Passat (2012-2015)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is accusing Volkswagen of allegedly using a “defeat device” in four-cylinder Volkswagen and Audi diesel cars from model years 2009-2015 to get around EPA emissions standards.

Some 482,000 diesel cars are affected. The EPA says the vehicles do not present a safety hazard to drive.

In the official notice of violation sent to the carmaker in September, the EPA alleged Volkswagen programed vehicle computers to turn on their full emission control systems only when the cars were undergoing an official emissions test.

When those vehicles were actually on the road, the computers turned off the emission controls in order to give the cars better fuel economy and performance. But that allowed the cars to emit 40 times the allowable amount of nitrogen oxides.

NOx contributes to the increase of other pollutants that have been linked to a range of serious health problems, including increased asthma attacks and premature death due to respiratory-related or cardiovascular-related effects.

Owners of those models and years should expect a recall notice from Volkswagen, telling them how to get their vehicles fixed for free. However, the EPA warns that it could take a year for the recall to be issued.

The EPA says VW may be liable for civil penalties and injunctive relief for its alleged violations.

Consumers may feel financially damaged by Volkswagen. Many purchased the cars touted as “clean diesel” vehicles for their high fuel efficiency. But fixing the emission problem will likely reduce fuel efficiency and compromise on-the-road performance, automotive journalist Bill Visnic wrote in Forbes.com.

And those changes could leave current owners facing lower resale and trade-in values.

Class action lawsuits are already being filed in federal courts in several states, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the car owners.

If you own one of these vehicles, call us today to for a free consultation. We will help you file your claim.