All 3.0-liter TDI diesel engines sold in the US from 2009 through 2015 allegedly included “alternative exhaust control devices,” according to information provided to the EPA by Volkswagen executives on November 20, 2015. These are illegal in the US, but the program is acceptable in Europe. [127] Volkswagen admits the presence of these devices but insists that they were not put in place for a “forbidden purpose”. [126] The US Department of Justice filed a complaint against Volkswagen in federal court on January 4, 2016, alleging that the respective 3.0-liter diesel engines only operate in a “temperature conditioning” mode that is automatically activated during testing, and that at all other times, including when the cars are being driven normally, this mode allows NOx emissions of up to nine times the legal limit. [128] Around 85,000 3.0 liter diesel vehicles, including the Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, Audi A6 Quattro, Audi A7 Quattro, Audi A8, Audi A8L, Audi Q5, and Audi Q7 models, have been sold in the United States since 2009. [128]
Which Audi models are impacted by the Volkswagen scandal?
The Audi A4, A5, A6, A7, Q5, and Q7 are included in the emissions recall, with the majority of the affected vehicles being located in Germany. Following the suspected discovery of emissions cheat devices by German authorities, Audi is recalling 127,000 vehicles. The Audi A4, A5, A6, A7, Q5, SQ5, and Q7 SUVs are all included in the recall.