2012-2014 VW Passat TDI diesels approved for modification by EPA

Another small portion of Volkswagen's diesel scandal has been put to rest: the EPA announced its approval of modifications for 2012 through 2014 Passat TDI sedans.

In total, 84,391 Volkswagen Passat TDI diesel vehicles are eligible to be modified and deemed compliant, should the existing owner choose to keep the car rather than sell it back to VW.

These Passat TDIs are fitted with the earlier EA189 2.0-liter diesel engine and feature a urea tank for Selective Catalytic Reduction exhaust treatment. read more »

Fiat Chrysler to modify 104,000 U.S. diesel vehicles 

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV plans to update software that it expects will resolve the concerns of U.S. regulators about excess emissions in 104,000 older diesels, the Italian-American automaker said on Friday.

The company also said on Friday that it had formally sought approval to sell two 2017 diesel models after months of talks and testing.

The software update would begin rolling out once the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board approved, Fiat Chrysler said. The company said it does not anticipate any impact on performance or fuel efficiency.

The EPA declined to comment. California said in a statement it "is continuing its discussions with FCA to fully address and resolve the issues" it raised. read more »

What Happens When Your Car Gets Hacked?

As devastating as the latest widespread ransomware attacks have been, it’s a problem with a solution. If your copy of Windows is relatively current and you’ve kept it updated, your laptop is immune. It’s only older unpatched systems on your computer that are vulnerable.

Patching is how the computer industry maintains security in the face of rampant internet insecurity. Microsoft, Apple and Google have teams of engineers who quickly write, test and distribute these patches, updates to the codes that fix vulnerabilities in software. Most people have set up their computers and phones to automatically apply these patches, and the whole thing works seamlessly. It isn’t a perfect system, but it’s the best we have.

But it is a system that’s going to fail in the “internet of things”: everyday devices like smart speakers, household appliances, toys, lighting systems, even cars, that are connected to the web. Many of the embedded networked systems in these devices that will pervade our lives don’t have engineering teams on hand to write patches and may well last far longer than the companies that are supposed to keep the software safe from criminals. Some of them don’t even have the ability to be patched. read more » 

VW Engineers Wanted O.K. From the Top for Emissions Fraud, Documents Show

Even after Volkswagen pleaded guilty to a nine-year conspiracy to dupe regulators and consumers, the carmaker has continued to insist that top executives played no role in the emissions fraud.

But internal company emails and memos, which were reviewed by The New York Times, indicate that engineers wanted approval from top managers to deploy the illegal software almost from the beginning, with regular status reports noting that high-level signoff was necessary.

The emissions issue was the main agenda for a 2007 meeting attended by Matthias Müller, the current chief executive, who was then Volkswagen’s head of product planning, as well as Martin Winterkorn, the chief executive at the time. A presentation for the meeting detailed plans to conceal excess emissions of diesel cars in the United States, including the so-called defeat device at the center of the crime. read more »

U.S. regulators open probe into recall of nearly 1.7 million Hyundai, Kia models

U.S. safety regulators have opened a formal investigation into the recall of nearly 1.7 million vehicles by Hyundai Motor Co  and affiliate Kia Motor Corp over engine defects, according to filings published Saturday.

A South Korean whistleblower reported concerns last year to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , which will probe the timeliness of three recalls carried out in the United States and whether they covered enough vehicles.

Fines could be imposed on the automakers if the NHTSA determines the recalls were not conducted properly. The agency did not immediately comment on the probe. read more »

Toyota, Carmakers to Pay $553 Million Over Air-Bag Losses

Toyota Motor Corp., Subaru Corp., Mazda Motor Corp. and BMW have reached settlements worth $553 million to resolve economic-loss claims tied to Takata Corp. air-bag recalls.

The companies will reimburse out-of-pocket expenses, provide loaners to some vehicle owners and set up an outreach program to increase participation in recalls, according to court papers filed Thursday. Under the accords, any funds left over will be paid, up to $500 each, to owners or leasers of vehicles.

Takata’s products, which can malfunction sending shards of metal at drivers and passengers, have been linked to at least 17 deaths worldwide. The Takata products have been the subject of the largest product recall in history, expected to cover more than 100 million air bags. read more »

Recall Fatigue: The dirty secret affecting millions of cars

Ponder this: One out of every six cars driven on American roads has an unrepaired safety recall. That’s about 63 million vehicles. So as you commute every morning, look around and try to figure out which nearby car has the wonky brakes or malfunctioning steer-by-wire system. It might even be yours, and you don’t even know it. read more »

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