The Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board have approved Volkswagen’s fix for 326,000 diesel-powered vehicles in the United States.
According to Reuters, the fix will involve both software and hardware modifications including the replacement of the emissions catalyst. Unfortunately, this will result in a lower fuel economy rating which could drop by as much as 2 mpg depending on the vehicle.
The fix has been developed for so-called “Generation One” vehicles which include older versions of the Audi A3 and the Volkswagen Beetle, Golf, and Jetta.
In a statement, Volkswagen said “This important milestone means that an approved emissions modification is now available for more than 98 percent of eligible 2.0L TDI vehicles in the United States.” The regulatory agencies also confirmed the fix will not affect “vehicle reliability or durability” besides the aforementioned drop in fuel economy.
Volkswagen has already spent more than $6.3 billion to repurchase vehicles equipped with the 2.0-liter TDI engine but Reuters reports the fix brings the company one step closer to being able to resell or export the models which are currently be stored at 37 different facilities across the United States.
The models covered by the fix include:
* VW Jetta TDI (Model Years 2009 – 2014)
* VW Jetta SportWagen TDI (Model Years 2009-2014)
* VW Golf TDI (Model Years 2010-2014)
* VW Beetle TDI and VW Beetle Convertible TDI (Model Years 2012 – 2014)
* Audi A3 TDI (Model Years 2010 – 2013)
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