Readers React:  Volkswagen takes the low road on emissions cheating scandal

To the editor: I find it fascinating that the same government that is quick to levy fines on GM, Toyota and other companies to the tune of billions of dollars has not used the same force and clout on the EPA, relative to its responsibility for a toxic spill of millions of gallons of toxic mining waste into pristine rivers in Colorado. (“Will California DMV act to ensure drivers comply with VW recall?,” Business, Sept. 22, and “In a heartbeat, VW suffers big hits to its value, integrity,” Sept. 23)

Pierre Loubet, Irvine

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To the editor: I think it is important to remember that Volkswagen the company did not mislead any buyers and did not create any method of cheating on the testing of emissions.

Some “employees of Volkswagen” did those things.

We need to keep in mind that the company can do nothing that specific employees do not choose to do.

Pat Ormsbee, Newport Beach

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To the editor: The VW official saying “we have totally screwed up” is the ultimate in arrogance.

The only mistake made was thinking they were not going to get caught.

Joan Maggs, Granada Hills

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To the editor: My husband and I have been conservationists for 50 years. We installed sun cells on our roof at a cost of thousands of dollars — not for personal savings (we won’t live long enough) but as our contribution to clean air. We replaced our lawn with drought-resistant plants.

We sold our 6-year-old Prius a year ago and purchased a VW Jetta primarily because it was advertised as a “TDI clean diesel.” We paid a considerable premium over the nondiesel model, primarily to drive a car that had cleaner emissions. This was highly touted by the sales personnel.

The Times articles have suggested that many owners may be reluctant to turn in their vehicles for the recall because of a possible decrease in fuel efficiency. Since it has been suggested that government fines might exceed $37,500 per vehicle and that the resale value of the affected models could be considerably reduced, why not encourage compliance by sharing some of the revenue acquired through fines with the victims of this outrageous fraud?

Susan Cosgrove, San Juan Capistrano

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To the editor: I do not believe that this scandal is going to have a long-term effect on Volkswagen’s sales or brand credibility. Volkswagen’s selling point has never been promoting a healthy environment in the United States; it has been about getting great mileage along with a great driving experience.

Outside of California, emissions are not an issue. VW will be fined billions, it will fix the software program and the world’s largest automaker will continue on.

If anything, Volkswagen will see an increase in sales as soon as the cars are repaired at its expense, as VW will assuredly provide discounts to promote “the new face of VW.”

This is an easy payday for the EPA and our government (both of which definitely need the money), but there is not an outraged customer base that is demanding reparations. The media make it seem as though people are deeply hurt and feel betrayed, when that is not the issue at hand.

Matt Giblin, Long Beach

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To the editor: Volkswagen should not be allowed to repair the affected vehicles. It should be required to give customers full refunds so they may be allowed to buy real clean-air vehicles.

Does VW even have the capabilities to do such large-scale repairs? Eleven million vehicles in only a few months — really?

It certainly is not fair to punish the people who were duped into purchasing these vehicles by forcing them to “negatively affect the cars’ performance or fuel efficiency,” as your writer points out in the article.

James Anderson, Cathedral City

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To the editor: These admittedly intentional acts set this particular big business wrong-doing apart and separate from GM’s and Toyota’s recent screw-ups.

VW may defend itself by in effect saying, “Well, no one died because of these actions.” If so, this should be rejected out of hand.

In an era of massive climate change and the imperative that we move beyond carbon as quickly as possible, these actions by VW must be seen in the larger context of the struggle to shift from polluting to clean forms of personal transportation.

Peter L. Coye, Claremont

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