Volkswagen sets up website for car owners affected by emissions scandal

6 Oct 2015

German car giant Volkswagen has been rocked by the emissions scandal

Volkswagen in Ireland has launched a new website for owners of the 80,000 vehicles that may be affected by the company’s use of software to cheat emissions tests.

Owners of Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Seat cars bought between 2008 and 2014 can now go to www.campaigncheck.ie to quickly determine if their vehicles is due to be refitted with new engine management software.

All they have to do is enter the vehicle’s registration number.

Some 79,348 cars on Irish roads are to be recalled for testing by Volkswagen, following the revelation that the cars’ computers contain software designed to help them cheat emissions tests.

The cars include 34,387 Volkswagen passenger cars, 8,107 commercial vehicles, 16,484 Audis and 16,004 Skodas that were sold through the German car giant’s authorised dealer network.

A further 30,000 vehicles bought as used imports may also be affected.

Global crisis for Volkswagen

Volkswagen recently admitted that software designed to cheat US emissions tests for nitrogen oxide was included in the engine management system of its EA 189 diesel engine, which was placed in Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda vehicles sold between 2008 and 2014.

Around the world, some 11m cars are believed to be affected.

The recall will require engineers to work on the software in the cars, and possibly on the hardware in the EA 189 engines.

The scandal prompted the immediate resignation of ex-Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn, who now faces a criminal investigation. Winterkorn was replaced as CEO of Volkswagen by former Porsche CEO Matthias Müller.

Volkswagen image via Shutterstock

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com