I'm a foreigner living in Greece and I just purchased a VW Passat with the 1.6 liter EU5 engine, and I believe it is the EA189 engine model. Any ideas yet how Greece will deal with this and what recourse owners will have against VW, if any? I am about to take delivery of the car. Can I reject it? Anyone have ideas on what the local laws say?
Posted Sep 27, 2015, 5:06 PM UTC
If your model is with a petrol engine, you are likely not affected. The issue is how this financial and logistical clusterfuck may or may not affect the reselling value of the car. This is something no one can answer right now, for models sold in Greece and elsewhere. Check with your dealer. I am not aware but it might worth trying to reject it. Check with the Institute of Consumer Protection. It is worth knowing what you can and cannot do prior to visiting your dealer. Bear in mind they will do everything they can to avoid giving you back your amount. I might be biased but I despise car sellers.
It's the EA189 diesel engine that Volkswagon has admitted is tampered with. But I agree with you ... they will never give me back my money since this is a VW manufacture issue and not a dealer issue. Plus, this, together with the historical bad sales, means that the VW dealer network has a huge chance of being bankrupt. Best to take the car now to have an asset in hand then let VW deal with it.
By the way, I despise the dealers too ... my next car will be a Hyunday ... 7 years guarantee and 5 years free service means I don't have to deal with their bullshit for a long time.
I hope not in the same way the Siemens scandal was dealt with.
Nah. The Siemens scandal was about bribery (from Siemens) and corruption of Greek politicians (who took the bribes). This is about Volkswagon systematically and knowingly perpetrating fraud on environmentalists, regulators and the population in general. Siemens was localised; Volkswagon is worldwide and far, far, far worse on many different levels.
Actually, the Siemens scandal was (is?) worldwide.
Quite right:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/business/worldbusiness/21siemens.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
But, still, the VW is a lot worse in that while Siemens gave bribes to others to take their product, VW fraudulently lied about their product in 11,000,000 separate individual cases.
I wonder if it's worth starting a class action suit here in Greece just to make sure?
A class action suit in Greece doesn't work the same way as in United States. Better to consult a local lawyer to examine all options.
I doubt they will bother at all.
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Well since this just happened like two days ago,and Greece sometimes may take weeks,months or whole decades for it's system to work and pass a law/ban something,I believe you are going to be fine for the time being.