VW's US recall could be thwarted by reluctant diesel owners


Selfishness and hypocrisy on display: The owners of some 482,000 Passats, Golfs and Jettas sold in model years 2009 to 2015 in the United States could decline to have their cars fixed because it could compromise the performance and fuel economy of their cars, even though that would mean their cars continue to massively pollute the environment.

SAN FRANCISCO: As Volkswagen AG prepares to explain how it might fix the polluting diesel cars that set off the biggest scandal in the German automaker's history, whatever solution it proposes could be undermined by some owners in the United States who won't bring their cars in for a recall and can't be forced to. 

The cars, some 482,000 Passats, Golfs and Jettas sold in model years 2009 to 2015 in the United States, are peppy and fun to drive, owners say. Because fixing the cars is likely to result in lower performance and fuel economy, some drivers will decline, even though their cars would continue to spew 40 times the smog-producing emissions permitted by some states. If they do, there are few enforcement levers in place. 

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