VW begins mass recall of Aussie cars

About 8,000 Amarok cars affected by the carmaker's emissions scandal will be the first to be recalled for a software fix.

Volkswagen logo.

Volkswagen Australia has begun to recall thousands of cars affected in last year's emission scandal. (AAP)

Volkswagen Australia has begun its recall of thousands of cars affected in last year's "dieselgate" emissions scandal.

Up to 8,694 Amarok cars will be the first to undergo a software upgrade to fix pollution-masking software in its engine.

More than 100,000 diesel cars in Australia, including the popular Gold and Polo models, were sold containing secret software that tampered with the car's emission controls.

Volkswagen says it will roll out the technical fix on a model-by-model basis, following directions from its German head office.

Owners of affected cars will be invited into a dealership to have the car's software upgraded by a technician, free of charge.

Cars fitted out with 2.0 litre EA189 diesel engines will be brought in first to receive the fix, while cars with the 1.6 litre engine will receive a software and hardware update.

In a statement, the carmaker stressed that the remedies would have no impact on the vehicle's performance, torque, fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and engine acoustics.

It also said that the cars were still safe to drive in the meantime.

More than 11 million vehicles globally have been identified as being part of the emissions scandal, and the German autogiant is facing numerous lawsuits worldwide.

In Australia, Volkswagen and its subsidiaries Skoda and Audi are facing a class action lawsuit for misleading and deceiving customers.

RECALL LIST

Volkswagen

* Golf (2009-2013)

* Polo (2009-2014)

* Jetta (2010-2015)

* Passat CC (2008-2012)

* Volkswagen CC (2011-2015)

* Passat (2008-2015)

* Eos (2008-2014)

* Tiguan (2008-2015)

* Caddy (2010-2015)

* Amarok (2011-2012)

Skoda

* Octavia (2009-2013)

* Yeti (2011-2015)

* Superb (2009-2015)

Audi

* A1

* A3

* A4

* A5

* A6

(Source: Volkswagen Group Australia and Audi Australia)


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Source: AAP



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