VW Begins Diesel Recalls in Europe

Volkswagen AG has begun the first phase of a year-long recall of some 8.5 million vehicles in Europe to fix diesel engines that had been rigged by the company to evade nitrogen oxides emission rules.

The initial callback targets VW’s Amarok small pickup trucks. The campaign is expected to be joined next week by the Passat sedan. Both models are powered by members of VW’s "EA189" family of 1.2-, 1.6- and 2.0-liter 4-cylinder diesels.

VW plans to reprogram engine control software to fix the 1.2- and 2.0-liter engines. The 1.6-liter engines will combine a software update and a mechanical airflow device. The repairs, which must be approved for each model by Germany’s KBA motor vehicle agency, are expected to then be accepted in other EU countries.

Meanwhile, there has been no reported progress in resolving VW's plan to repair for some 600,000 diesels in the U.S. The company proposes to use software adjustments and a new catalytic converter to bring the cars into compliance with America’s tougher standards for NOx emissions.