VW Defeat Device: 400,000 UK Volkswagens need PHYSICAL modifications

400,000 UK Volkswagens need PHYSICAL modifications says UK boss Paul Willis (pictured)

Volkswagen’s UK boss, Paul Willis, was hauled in front of MPs in parliament yesterday and revealed 400,000 UK cars will need physical modifications.

It was the turn of UK MPs to get their hands on the local VW boss – for the UK that’s Paul Willis, UK MD – to answer questions about the defeat device scandal that’s seen VW admit to fitting defeat device software to its cars to scam emissions testing.

In reality, the performance from Willis wasn’t particularly impressive, and he rolled out the same platitudes other VW bosses have; the almost ‘right contrition’, but tinged with a hint of arrogance and always blaming others.

In fact, Willis pretty much avoided any technical questions, claiming his specialist field was sales and marketing: “I’m not an engineer” he said. Which really isn’t good enough.

What Willis did do is confirm that around a third of the 1.2 million VW cars in the UK – which VW started selling in 2008 – affected by the emissions scam – 583,000 VWs, 393,000 Audis, 132,000 Skodas and 77,000 Seats – would need more than a software fix, meaning at least 400,000 cars will require new fuel injectors. It’s assumed these will be the 1.6 litre version of the EA 189 engine. Although we can’t see how injectors alone will fix the issue.

Willis confirmed the recall to fix the cars would start in early 2016, and that owners who are inconvenienced will be offered a loan car. Presumably, VW will be judge and jury on who gets a loan car.

It’s about time Volkswagen got their act together, stopped acting like robots, took collective responsibility for what’s happened, do all they can to communicate their contrition and be transparent about how deep the subterfuge went in the VW Group.

Or there won’t be a VW Group left.