Since 2008, Volkswagen fraud is hidden and now it came out, which showed that it has been cheating federal emission standards, spewing as much as 40 times more pollution than allowed by equipping its cars with a “defeat device” that fools the official test,” the Obama administration said.

After the fault was identified, the fines the company is supposed to pay for Volkswagen fraud, are more than $35,000 per vehicle, which means the manufacturer is on the hook, for as much as $18 billion, plus the cost of retrofitting nearly 500,000 recalled vehicles.

After coming across the two breaches of the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a violation notice to the company.

While issuing the notice, Cynthia Giles, an assistant administrator said, “Using a defeat device in cars to evade clean air standards is illegal and a threat to public health.” 

Which vehicles are involved in Volkswagen fraud and to be recalled?

All the four-cylinder diesel engine Jettas, Beetles, Audi A3 and Golf models manufactured between 2009 and 2015 and Passat models made between 2014 and 2015, will come under the violation notice.  

Along with the California Air Resources Board, the EPA worked in detecting the defect.  When the car is undergoing its official emissions test, the software turns on a full suite of emission controls, according to the regulators. That allows the car to pass tests and be certified for the open road.

According to regulators, and the vehicles emit nitrogen oxides, under normal driving conditions, however, the emission controls fall away at at 10 to 40 times the legal limit.

How do Volkswagen fraud effects human health?

As nitrogen oxide is a major component of smog, or ground-level ozone pollution and particulate matter, there are possibilities of asthma attacks and several other serious respiratory illnesses.

Severe exposure to ozone pollution and particulate matter can even cause premature death and might lead to heart problems too. Especially, the children are susceptible, and VW may be liable for civil penalties as a result of its actions.

However a fraud like this, from such a well known and successful company like Volkswagen, put the entire automobile users into deep confusion and are now raising doubts on other company vehicles too.   

By Phani Ch