A group of Australian Volkswagen owners are accusing the German company of ignoring them, asking why affected US drivers have been offered a buy-back.
The ABC’s PM reported last night that thousands of Australian drivers are part of a class action against the German car maker, which admitted last September to using software to cheat laboratory emissions tests for VW, Audi and Skoda cars.
The lead applicant among drivers of affected VW cars, Alister Dalton, told the ABC that he felt cheated and had hardly heard from the company since the scandal broke.
“We’ve had a couple of letters, but they’re no different to probably what any other owner has received, and it’s very scant information that we receive, very generic,” he told PM.
“I probably have more contact with the local dealership when I go and have my car serviced than dealing with Volkswagen Australia.”
Applicants in the Federal Court case, which returns to court next month, want to know why affected US drivers have been assisted more promptly. VW has offered to buy back nearly 500,000 vehicles in an in-principle deal with the US Justice Department.
The car manufacturer said the situation was different in the US, with tougher standards on emissions. It said it was communicating with customers and cooperating with the Australian government on a solution, including free software upgrades.
Serves you right for buying one. I would not touch one. Maybe you will learn from this that you don’t buy these things. We make good cars in this country and they are not being bought by enough people.
Not for long…