BEIJING: Volkswagen said it was recalling 1,950 imported vehicles in China as part of its global recall of over 11 million diesel cars following an emission scandal that led to the resignation of the group’s head.
The company will pull back 1,946 Tiguan and 4 Passat B6 from China to correct a software dubbed as a “cheat device.” It allowed diesel cars to cheat emission tests, while allowing the real emission level to be higher when it is switched off.
“We would sincerely like to apologize for any inconvenience caused to our customers,” Volkswagen said in a statement yesterday. It however stressed that “all vehicles are technically safe and road worthy.”
The company said it was working on the technical solution to submit it to the authorities.
The scandal has had only a limited impact on the mainland where very few Chinese have diesel cars. Yet, when the scandal broke, it caught the attention of the public. The company has previously been caught in two quality scandals in China — a faulty axle for the Sagitar sedan and dry dual-clutch transmission for a wide range of products.
China’s quality watchdog said yesterday it was “highly concerned” about the fallout from the scandal.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) did not specify what action it would take beyond demanding that the problem be addressed as soon as possible.
In a separate statement, the environment ministry also said it would launch an investigation into VW vehicles.
“So far I have seen little impact on consumers’ confidence and trust in the VW brand (in China), but we need to monitor it,” said Yale Zhang, head of Shanghai-based consulting firm Automotive Foresight.
“Their sales are already weak this year thanks to the slowdown in the economy. If VW sales took a further beating from the current emissions scandal, that would further complicate their position globally,” he added.
Volkswagen’s two Chinese joint ventures that produce cars domestically said last month the software that skirts emissions tests will not affect their cars in China.
