…namely the number of accident deaths attributed to their vehicles.
While the jury is still out on this new issue, at this point it is beginning to look like VW has a corporate policy that promotes lies and falsehoods.
If they haven’t been lying, then apparently VW vehicles are the safest ones on the road–by a very wide margin.
…or not…
It should be interesting to see how this new issue plays out.
Wouldn’t it be better if the NHTSA got their accident information from the state systems? Usually people are required to report significant accidents and deaths on the accident reports. I’m not sure why they would rely on the manufacturers to report on this and how would they know unless they were being sued?
That is a good question, but in the meantime…Is it really likely that VW’s accident death rate is 9 times lower than their competitors?
Hmmm…
I'm not sure why they would rely on the manufacturers to report on this...
It’s the government…'nuff said…
Might be lower because they are in the shop a lot more, but seriously I suspect on an accident per mile basis, they wouldn’t be any better than anyone else.
I'm not sure why they would rely on the manufacturers to report on this and how would they know unless they were being sued?
Because the manufacturers have highly paid lobbyists to pass laws in their favor.
“Is it really likely that VW’s accident death rate is 9 times lower than their competitors?”
Not a chance.
This latest allegation–if proven–could make it very difficult for VW to recover their former dominance in some markets. If these allegations prove to be accurate, then it would indicate a widespread corporate culture of lying at that company.
There is an old saying…
Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame on me
The net result of lying on two entirely different issues–both of which have health-related implications–could make it very difficult for people to trust VW.
<b>Because the manufacturers have highly paid lobbyists to pass laws in their favor.</b>
And the government has highly compliant politicians to accept those lobbyist “gifts”
Does make me wonder what we are paying the employees of NHSTA to actually do…
If You Like Your Health Care Plan Then You Can Keep It…
If You Like Your Doctors Then You Can Keep Them…
Health Care Savings Will Average $2500 Per Family…
Those E-mails were secure…
Leadership by example. The Feds are great ones to criticize dishonesty. This kind of leadership causes dishonesty and cheating to run rampant.
<i>"Does make me wonder what we are paying the employees of NHSTA to actually do…"
Does make me wonder what we are paying the employees of ___________ (fill in the blank with nearly any government office you can think about… ).
Sorry, I have a problem with dishonest leaders of organizations, big or small. Thanks, I feel better now.
CSA
The Feds are great ones to criticize dishonesty.
It’s NOT just the feds…State and Local level too. Even here in NH where we have very close ties to our elected officials…there’s still room for MAJOR CORRUPTION. At least it’s easier to get the local fools out of office.
…and the plot may be thickening, with VW’s revelation about another previously-unknown device on their diesel vehicles. The EPA will have to make a determination of whether this was an attempt to cheat or to legitimately clean-up emissions:
…and now, this revelation:
…which may have caused VW’s new American CEO to leave before even beginning his new job:
Yeah its a witch hunt and certainly there were a number of people involved, but all I can say is it gets pretty lonely when you stare down a direct order and instruction from the CEO, German or not. Not many other people in the room are going to jump in and help you out. In fact they scatter like cockroaches to save their own skins. That’s just the nature of organizations and people.
The engineers had concluded that the cost to meet emissions was $300 per car. The CEO said no way, they couldn’t afford it, were tightening their belts as it was, and go back to your desks and find a better answer. So I wonder who that former employee was that came back and told him it couldn’t be done and would still cost $300. His peers came back with another way and probably got a bonus and an invite to the country club.
Now it is revealed the latest 2016 models may also have some “special” software designed to “help” these cars pass emissions certification…Buy the way, ALL new, unsold TDI models have been quarantined (can not be sold) until an approved emissions solution has been installed on them.
If heating the catalyst earlier will curb emissions sooner after the car is started, I don’t see how that is a problem, or how it could be used as a cheat.
@missileman, of course there is a chance that VWs loss of life statistics are 9 times better than average. There is also a chance that Mercury will fall into the Sun this week. The probabilities might be similar…
Hard to tell…But if the CAT only gets heated during emissions certification testing, or it’s programed to heat it sooner when it thinks testing is being performed, Who knows?? But VW reported the potential problem voluntarily…The 2016 models have not been certified for sale yet…
Part of this might be that VW is a Euro-corporation. And Euro regulators are pretty lenient about what they allow. I’m not sure where I read it, maybe here, but apparently for the mpg ratings published for the Euro-market, Euro-car corporations are allowed to do things to the car that is a little hard to believe would be allowed. Like they’ll remove important parts of the car to reduce weight and wind drag so the car will get good ratings in the mpg test. They might for example remove the spare tire to reduce weight and the side mirrors to reduce wind drag. Just for the mpg test.
I’m confused.
I thought the issue with the diesel emissions was the computer software and not some separate device (unless you want to count the computer as that device). In other words, the fix for this would involve reprogramming the computer and not adding or removing anything.
VW has said the problem can’t be fixed on US cars with just a software change. The ‘test mode’ gave great emissions, but apparently doesn’t work well in real driving, power and economy wise.