VW emissions scandal hits Australia

Volkswagen says more than 77,000 cars sold in Australia are affected by the company's worldwide diesel emissions cheating scam.

Volkswagen Australia is checking if its cars on sale locally have the emissions-cheating software. (AAP) Source: DPA FILE

More than 77,000 diesel Volkswagen vehicles sold in Australia are fitted with software that cheats emissions tests.

The company says owners of the affected vehicles, including post-2009 Polo and Golf models, don't need to take any action until a technical solution is made available by its head office in Germany.

"We understand the disappointment and frustration felt by our customers, dealers and partners in Australia and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause," Volkswagen Group Australia managing director John White said.

"We are doing everything possible to fix the problem and will be making further announcements in the near future.

"It is important for customers to note that all affected vehicles remain technically safe and driveable and that we will contact them in time to advise what the next steps are."

Confirmation of Australia's inclusion in the worldwide emissions cheating scandal comes more than two weeks after it first broke.

The world's biggest carmaker by sales, Volkswagen has admitted fitting 11 million vehicles with so-called defeat devices that switch the engine to a low-emissions mode during testing, allowing the car to exceed emissions regulations during normal operation.

The global scam has forced chief executive Martin Winterkorn to resign, and his successor Matthias Mueller has set aside 6.5 billion euros ($A10.3 billion) to fix the affected vehicles.

But Volkswagen also faces fines of up to $US18 billion in the United States, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has also flagged fines amounting to millions of dollars.

Class actions on behalf of affected customers are also likely.

Australian Volkswagen owners can visit the company's website or call its customer service centre to check if they are affected.

Models affected by emission scandal

* 54,745 Volkswagen passenger cars:

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)

* 5148 SKODA cars:

Octavia (2009-2013)

Yeti (2011-2015)

Superb (2009-2015)

* 17,256 Volkswagen commercial vehicles:

Caddy (2010-2015)

Amarok (2011-2012)

(Source: Volkswagen Australia Group)