Volkswagen's Recall Plan Rejected In California
California's Air Resources Board (CARB) has rejected Volkswagen's proposal for how it will deal with the recall of its vehicles in the state. In addition, CARB has also made public its formal Notice of Violation regarding the auto maker's violation of state air quality regulations. Says the California EPA, "Today's actions do not preclude a recall, but allow for a broader array of potential remedies."
The issue revolves around Volkswagen's "defeat device" used in 2-liter diesel passenger vehicles sold from 2009 to 2015. This past September, the auto maker owned up to the existence of the cheating device, and soon after VW was given 45 days to submit a proposal on how it will proceed with recalling and fixing the cars. The U.S. EPA served Volkswagen with a Notice of Violation at the time.
Said CARB's Chair Mary D. Nichols:
Volkswagen made a decision to cheat on emissions tests and then tied to cover it up. They continued and compounded the lie and when they were caught they tried to deny it. The result is thousands of tons of nitrogen oxide that have harmed the health of Californians. They need to make it right. Today's action is a step in the direction of assuring that will happen.
According to the California EPA and CARB, Volkswagen's recall plan was rejected because it was lacking in a few different areas, including having "gaps and lack [of] sufficient details." A technical evaluation isn't possible due to a lack of adequate info in the repair descriptions. And, finally, VW's proposal doesn't address the "overall impacts on vehicles performance, emissions and safety" adequately enough.