Quote:
Volkswagen AG’s worldwide repair of 11 million diesel vehicles to bring their emissions systems into compliance with pollution regulations is shaping up to be one of the most complex and costly fixes in automotive history.
“I can’t think of any other recall that would be as comprehensive,” said Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports magazine. “It’s really an expensive rework.”
The repair costs are only part of what Volkswagen is going to have to spend to get through a corporate crisis sparked by revelations it rigged its diesel cars for years to fool emissions tests. The company is also compensating dealers for storing cars they can’t sell. It faces more than 325 consumer lawsuits in the U.S.
Fisher said the only comparably complex recalls involved replacing an entire engine or a structural frame in older pickup trucks. Even then, automakers in those recalls were replacing a defective part with a new part of a similar size in the same place.
Volkswagen will have to find a place for a multigallon urea tank. They may have to drill through sheet metal to create a filler neck that’s convenient for consumers who would need to replenish the liquid every three or four months. It may cost thousands of dollars per car, he said.
“It’s going to require an uncomfortable amount of hacking at the car,” said Bill Visnic, an independent automotive analyst based in Weirton, West Virginia. “There’s no real pretty way to put it. You’re going to have to drill some holes and run some lines under the car. You’ve got to find someplace to put the tank. It’s going to add up pretty quickly.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2...st-recalls-ever
Volkswagen AG’s worldwide repair of 11 million diesel vehicles to bring their emissions systems into compliance with pollution regulations is shaping up to be one of the most complex and costly fixes in automotive history.
“I can’t think of any other recall that would be as comprehensive,” said Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports magazine. “It’s really an expensive rework.”
The repair costs are only part of what Volkswagen is going to have to spend to get through a corporate crisis sparked by revelations it rigged its diesel cars for years to fool emissions tests. The company is also compensating dealers for storing cars they can’t sell. It faces more than 325 consumer lawsuits in the U.S.
Fisher said the only comparably complex recalls involved replacing an entire engine or a structural frame in older pickup trucks. Even then, automakers in those recalls were replacing a defective part with a new part of a similar size in the same place.
Volkswagen will have to find a place for a multigallon urea tank. They may have to drill through sheet metal to create a filler neck that’s convenient for consumers who would need to replenish the liquid every three or four months. It may cost thousands of dollars per car, he said.
“It’s going to require an uncomfortable amount of hacking at the car,” said Bill Visnic, an independent automotive analyst based in Weirton, West Virginia. “There’s no real pretty way to put it. You’re going to have to drill some holes and run some lines under the car. You’ve got to find someplace to put the tank. It’s going to add up pretty quickly.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2...st-recalls-ever