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Volkswagen reaches tentative buyback deal in dirty diesel scandal

They sold millions of cars using fraudulent emissions tests. Now Volkswagen will be offering to buy those same cars back from consumers in the United States.
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A giant logo of the German car manufacturer Volkswagen is pictured on top of a factory in Wolfsburg, Germany. (Michael Sohn/AP)
As It Happens5:59Volkswagen reaches tentative deal in dirty diesel scandal

A tentative deal has been reached between Volkswagen and the U.S. government over the company's emissions scandal, one that includes a vehicle buyback offer for American consumers.

I feel guilty. I feel like I'm not doing right by the environment and by people's health.- David Bremmer, Volkswagen owner

"If they'll give me the price that I paid, plus the cost of the taxes, I would do that. I'm not using this as an opportunity to get money out of them," says Volkswagen Jetta TDI owner Daniel Bremmer.

Daniel Bremmer's girlfriend, Lee Fairchild, poses with their Volkswagen Jetta TDI shortly after buying it. (Daniel Bremmer)

Bremmer bought his Jetta TDI for environmental reasons. Diesel engines can be up to 33 per cent more efficient than gasoline engines. He says the ride of the VW combined with its fantastic gas mileage made him choose it over the more expensive Toyota Prius, a hybrid car.

In September 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered Volkswagen to fix about 500,000 VW and Audi diesel cars that the agency said were intentionally-violating clean air laws.

VW admitted it had installed a cheat device in diesel engines, a software program that ensures the engines meet environmental standards during testing conditions, but spews polluting emissions in real-world driving. The vehicles, with 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre engines, emit up to 40 times the legal limit of nitrogen oxide pollutants.

"I felt horribly betrayed," says Bremmer. "I feel guilty. I feel like I'm not doing right by the environment and by people's health."

A 2015 VW Jetta TDI. (AP)

About 11 million vehicles worldwide were equipped with the emissions-cheating device. The proposed deal will include a buyback offer for 482,000 vehicles in the U.S. The settlement does not yet include cars bought in Canada.

However, in a statement, VW says that the resolutions reached with the EPA apply to Canada as well because their Canadian vehicles are certified by that body. The statement goes on to say that more details will be made public in June.

For his part, Bremmer says the company has lost his trust and he's not sure they can ever win it back.

"It's one thing to make a mistake and create a product that fails in a bad way, but this was intentional. They lied to millions of people."

He also adds that he's not sure he can ever get behind the wheel of another Volkswagen.

"This was my second Volkswagen and, as of now, it's my last one."

With files from CBC News

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