Volkswagen - What's got into you???

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by icenine

I keep hearing about how expensive German designed cars are to maintain.
True or not I do not want to take chances. I think I paid about $3000 for various repairs to my CRV between 2006-2015, and some of those were at the dealer and some where more expensive because I needed it done THAT day.

I would be afraid to think what one trip to a BMW dealer would be.

I brought an Audi back from Germany when I moved back in 1986. Not only was it expensive to maintain, but electrical problems were frequent.

Moreover, Porsche/Audi/Mercedes/BMW dealers here try to impress upon you how special you are for owning a German car and expect you to reach deeply into your pockets with a privileged smile on your face.

I'd never own anything but a German car in Germany, but I'd never again own one here. In my experience, German cars are nowhere near as reliable as their Japanese counterparts.

[BlueStreak]

Ha, Ha, Ha..........!

Follow the money trail, it will lead directly to the guilty parties. Let me guess; It's rich corporate executives. Not "big government" or "liberals" or "unions" or "environmentalists" or garden gnomes or the devil...........

It's just greedy business people f**king up, once again. Surprise, surprise!

(Walks away shaking his head.)

[ebacon]

This kind of situation exposes the difficulty of regulating technological advancement.

I have experience in gasoline engine controls (as opposed to diesel, which is what VW is dealing with.)

There are several layers to "regulations". First, there is the law. Second, there are regulations that implement the law. Third, there are procedures that implement the regulations.

Information gets smeared as the knife of progress cuts through that regulatory cake. In the gasoline world I recall government employees getting admonished for relaxing requirements on engine controls. The fact was that the government employees at the ground level were just as smart as we were. In our minds we were merging with the law as fast as we could, and in good faith. Unfortunately our cops got in trouble for working with us.

Did they do wrong? I don't think so. But then again they only got their wrists slapped for dancing with us. No one wants to punish dancers for trying.

IMO a big question in the VW case was whether the US diesel employees had enough time to learn to dance with US diesel regulators. US diesel has always been an under-funded bastard child. IMO, @ $18B, VW is being charged an unconscionable rate for learning to dance in the US.

At the same time we need to recognize that US automakers stayed out of US diesel because the rules were too hard. We were honest.

I think VW needs to understand that writing cheater software will not be tolerated, but at the same time our regulators need to make VW feel comfortable enough to admit difficulties and work with them at phasing in solutions.

None of us want to make a mess of the planet. We all live here.

[bobabode]

US paid out $51,000,000.00 in fees for these cars.
http://www.latimes.com/business/auto...922-story.html

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by bobabode

US paid out $51,000,000.00 in fees for these cars.
http://www.latimes.com/business/auto...922-story.html

They've really screwed the pooch this time!

Sad, really that such a respected and innovative company would stoop to this sort of thing.

[Rajoo]

This was a deliberate trickery and not some simple fudging.

[HarmanKardon]

Michael Horn, Boss of Volkswagen America: "Wir haben es total verbockt!" which means precisely: "We totally fucked up!"

[djv8ga]

Originally Posted by HarmanKardon

Michael Horn, Boss of Volkswagen America: "Wir haben es total verbockt!" which means precisely: "We totally fucked up!"

I bet the S.O.B. wouldn't have given a crap if they hadn't been caught! We shouldn't allow one more Hitler Mobile into this country.
If nothing else, they should be treated like the Confederate flag.

[HarmanKardon]

Sorry - I was wrong. He did not say: "We totally fucked up!", he said: "We've totally screwed up!", which is pretty much the same.

But what the hell is a Hitler Mobile? Do you mean the beetle which has been deeply loved by zillions of Amercians for many decades?

[Grumpy]

Sadly there is no such thing as american anymore...