Mein verdämmter Volkswagen...

Looks like things are happening for the 3.0L crowd:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/20...ch-fox-buyback-deal-remaining-diesels-report/

 

Well, we finally got our Buy Back offer.....we are actually getting more from the "Sorry We Fuk'd You" fee....$8100 vs. the $7500 they originally quoted. When we pay off the vehicle, we will end up with about $10k.

Getting the last pieces of paperwork Notarized. Hopefully we get this taken care of soon.

FYI: You need to download the CA Notary Acknowledgement....it is not included in the documents they send you...but it available here:

https://www.vwcourtsettlement.com/en/

They also updated the online claims portal...but we didn't get an email notice of the update. Good thing I have been checking the website daily.

 

I got my offer letter today.

 

I wondered...

http://jalopnik.com/disgruntled-diesel-vw-owners-are-stripping-their-cars-b-1790053005

Disgruntled Diesel VW Owners Are Stripping Their Cars Before Turning Them In
Today 2:16pm

Photo: Tacoboutnachos/Reddit
Part of Volkswagen’s $14.7 billion Dieselgate settlement requires the company to offer buybacks to nearly half a million owners whose cars cheated emissions tests. But that settlement does not stipulate that those bought-back cars have to be in good shape, so some owners are stripping their vehicles down.

According to the buyback terms specified in the EPA’s Consent Decree, the only requirement related to vehicle condition is that the car has to be “operable,” a word defined by the court as:

“Operable” means that a vehicle so described can be driven under its own 2.0-liter TDI engine power. A vehicle is not Operable if it had a branded title of “Assembled,” “Dismantled,” “Flood,” “Junk,” “Rebuilt,” “Reconstructed,” or “Salvaged” as of September 18, 2015, and was acquired by any person or entity from a junkyard or salvaged after September 18, 2015.

Operable could mean a lot of things.

I called Volkswagen’s settlement hotline, and the representative told me the same thing. Basically, it seems like you can strip every damn part off of your Volkswagen TDI and still get your buyback money, as long as the car can still drive under its own power.

Quite a few Volkswagen owners, many of whom I’d place squarely in the “disgruntled” category, see this as an opportunity to get back at Volkswagen by turning in a fully-gutted shitbox, while others just see it as a way to make some extra cash.

You’ll find threads from TDI owners all over the internet, from Reddit to the TDI Owners Club, about this topic. There’s threads like “Will anyone be stripping salvaging parts before selling back?,” “Has anyone returned a stripped TDI yet?,” “Stripping the Turn Ins,” and “Cannibalizing TDI,” all of which eventually turn into discussions on ethics, since VW is compensating owners handsomely, and stripping a vehicle would theoretically make it more difficult for the company to sell the cars if they eventually devise a fix.

Owners in these threads have discussed removing mirrors, jacks, headlights, floor mats, visors, radios, seats, and all sorts of other easily-pulled parts. Then there are people like rotts4u, a member of the TDI Club Forum, who got a bit more imaginative, saying:

Carpet, airbags, battery if yours is better/newer, drain the oil and replace it with even more used oil drain the coolant and replace it with water from the storm drain, empty the fuel tank, DEF tank, take off the glove box door, the inner door panels I guess you could pull the steering wheel and just clamp a vise grip on the stem to drive it to the dealer, pull the air filter oil filter,drain most of the brake fluid, power steering fluid, windshield washer fluid,, spare tire, jack, first aid kit, maybe even the trunk deck could come off and meet the rules, who know can you drive legally without doors?

To be sure, most people seem happy with their buyback offer, and at most, they remove a few aftermarket parts they installed and a floor mat or two.

But some of them actually have stripped their cars down, like Reddit-user Tacoboutnachos, who turned in a total junker after literally stripping his Golf’s front fascia off (that’s his car in the top photo).

Even the rear end was also messed up from an accident:


Photo: Tacoboutnachos/Reddit
I chatted with Tacoboutnachos over Reddit, asking him if he had intentionally removed the fascia, or if it had been torn off after a collision, and he said:

Yes the front end I took off for my friend and then the back was in an accident. I guess you can say everything’s happened to this car lol.

Despite the janky shape of the car, Tacoboutnachos told me he “still got paid with no issues.” So seems like VW will buy back your car even if the thing’s in terrible shape. Will they buy back just the carcass with the powertrain in it? I’m not sure, but the terms in the settlement definitely don’t rule out the possibility.

If more owners do what this person did, you can expect lots of cheap used Jetta and Golf parts to flood Ebay and Craigslist in the near future.

h/t: Emily

 

Was going to post that tonight... fun times.

 

"since VW is compensating owners handsomely"

She must f-ing crazy if she thinks this way.

 

Woooohooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Buyback appointment made for Jan. 4. Adios VW.

 

I sent my offer papers in yesterday. I hope I get an appointment that fast.

Mine is January 20th.

 

I believe that the technical term for someone who would strip his or her car before turning it in, because maybe you can, is "loser." Perhaps it is "ugly American." VW screwed up. It committed fraud. There is a settlement. They are paying LOTS of money for this fraud. LOTS. Every govt. entity is getting a taste. You chose to participate in the settlement. No one forced you. You could have sued on your own for "damages". The damages are small, however, so it doesn't make sense. But you probably could have even sued in small claims court (up to 10k). Just a guess, but the people who do this to their cars will be living hand to mouth for the rest of their lives, rationalizing their lot as "the man (the Jews, corporate America, the govt. etc.)" is keeping them down. Sorry, no pity from me for this pathetic band of leeches otherwise known as aggrieved consumers. Not to get all Sunday school, but this is just basic human decency.

 

Come on Tim....tell us how you really feel. It's ok, no need to hold back.

 

Yep... I really had to read between the lines on that one.

I'm still conflicted. I won't be out in the garage unbolting the side mirror and rear seat, but I don't know if I'll consider the brand again. VW really needs to work at that- like the car version of makeup sex. The Passat TDI was a tool that got great mileage and still does. It has also been maintenance headache free, which is why we're in the buyback minority, and aren't rushing to dump it. We're going to let the dust settle. If a fix is eventually approved, we may go that route and let the kids drive it until the wheels fall off.

Our Touareg (gas), on the other hand, we love... It's our second one and this one was our 20th anniversary present. When the wife is talking about other car models that she wants to drive, every third car is "How about another Touareg?"

 

I agree....that kind of behavior is not in me.

However, my wife if done with VW. While she is on her 3rd consecutive VW in the last 24 months...she loves the fuel economy of the TDI, but has grown out of the sedan and wants to get back into a SUV. A couple of small issues with the VW have her moving on.

 

I am done with the brand for a while. I LOVE my Golf TDI, but this is off putting to me. It's not the whole environmental part of it as it is the cover-up.

I have to say that my wife and I are really looking forward to getting a new crosstrek now.

 

If the car still gets good mileage and has power post fix, and I'm getting a check as an "I'm sorry" from VWAG, I'd keep it. A new car is still a lot more, and you'd end up with a crappy Prius if you want the same sort of mileage (I watch Top Gear/Grand Tour). It's still going to get good mileage, be comfortable, etc. I'd cash the check and keep it.

 

I wish we were able to move onto this...... 345 bhp & 516 lb ft

 

Yes, I am always reluctant to speak my mind and lack passion in most aspects of my life.

 

That's ok......we still like you.

 

Easy, easy!!!! I love my 50+MPG

 

It's okay, I still like you!

 

That's the hard part with giving up the TDI. We get close to 50 in city driving, and over 60 on the highway. Nothing else will come close and still have the range.

 

I heard that the first Touregs were maintainence problems, not true?

 

That may have been true in the beginning, but the platform is shared with the Touareg, Cayenne, and Q7. The base Cayenne used to use the same engine and transmission as the Touareg- not sure if that's still the case. But, I'm confident based on our experience that any bugs have been worked out...

We had a 2007 V6 that had zero issues when we traded it in... I sort of wish we had kept that one. It was beefier than the newer ones, with heavier suspension and skid plates from front to back. It was @500 pounds heavier than the Suburban we traded in. It's also rated to tow a lot more than the Suburban was... 7700 pounds, which came in handy taking the kid to college with a U-Haul.

Our second one is a 2012, and it has had zero issues... The only "complaint" I have is that it eats tires every 20,000 miles, but that may be more the driver than the vehicle.
We are seriously considering replacing the Passat with another Touareg. My only issue is that the diesel won't be available. The V6 (gas) engine is enough for us, especially hooked to the 8 speed, but I would like some of the other options that used to be available in the US, and are still available world wide. In fact, the V6 gas is only sold here. In Europe, they are available with either the 6 or 10 cylinder diesel, and either a V8 or W12 gas.

 

***In my household they are called Toyota *Pious... just sayin'




*making a hypocritical display of virtue.
"there'll be no pious words said over her"
synonyms: sanctimonious, hypocritical, insincere, self-righteous, holier-than-thou, pietistic, churchy;
informalgoody-goody
"pious platitudes"



***Disclaimer:
Please note that all statements within this single post are meant for entertainment purposes only. No left wing prius driving yuppies were intended to be offended. However, it is true that in the Watson family, we do call them Toyota Pious's. Still, just sayin'

 

You mean "Prious."

 

Florida..!? I wasn't expecting that.

Pious Transcender is the model of my next E-bike. It will run on photovoltaic electricity, and I will use a coupon to purchase it via cash offer from an undocumented hobo living along the Santa Ana River.

 

Coal and oil burning makes your Prius run... just sayin'

 

People forget what it takes to make batteries...

 

I was surprised too- always imagined people drove cars that resemble those in the Mad Max movies there.

 

Florida has many counties that have more rental cars on the road than natives... So lots of small cars. You can spot them pretty easily, though. License plates are issued by birth month, and every rental car is born in June! When our Dodge Intrepid was stolen from our driveway, the thieves were smart enough (?) to steal license plates off of an identical brown Dodge Intrepid rental car from a Disney hotel parking lot. And the perps transferred to my school two weeks later.



Well... It seems Judge Breyer also feels that parts stripping is not cool.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money...esel-scandal-settlement-substantial/95711452/

Judge warns VW owners not to strip diesel cars for buybacks
Nathan Bomey

When police heard this family's dog died in an accident, they decided to take action.HUMANKIND

A federal judge warned Volkswagen owners not to strip parts out of their diesel vehicles before attempting to sell them back to the automaker through the company's emissions settlement.

U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer's warning Thursday came after reports on the automotive blog Jalopnik of a Cincinnati man who "completely stripped" his 2010 VW Golf diesel car before attempting to qualify for the buyback.

The man ripped out the "doors, seats, hood, bumpers, hatch and a big portion of the interior" before trying to turn in his vehicle, according to Jalopnik. VW rejected his attempt to qualify for the buyback, which would have been worth anywhere from $14,897 to $15,557 for the typical 2010 VW Golf diesel.

story from The Motley Fool

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Volkswagen Group agreed in June to the nearly $15 billion settlement with the U.S. government, California regulators and consumers over 2009 to 2016 model-year 2-liter diesel cars that violated emissions standards. Owners qualify for buybacks or a free fix and compensation, assuming VW can deliver a repair authorized by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The 2-liter buybacks ranged from $12,500 to $44,000, adjusted for mileage. Owners of 2-liter models who qualify for and receive a free repair will also receive $5,100 to $9,852 in payouts.

VW attorney Robert Giuffra said Thursday at a court hearing that "a handful of owners have brought in vehicles that have been regrettably, deliberately stripped of parts."

In an apparent reference to the Cincinnati man, he noted "one owner" who ripped out "almost every part" — even the air bags.

That "goes too far" and "they should not be engaging in deliberate parts stripping," Giuffra told the judge.

"I would echo that," Breyer responded. "Clearly the purpose of the agreement by Volkswagen was to accept these cars in the condition that they were in as they were being driven on the road, and not to strip the cars."

Addressing VW owners, he said, "A word of caution is appropriate at the time."

Jonathan Cohen, an attorney for the Federal Trade Commission, said the agency is "absolutely against bad-faith behavior by consumers" but also noted that VW cannot reject buybacks based on "the vehicle's superficial condition."

That is, normal wear and tear is acceptable.

Breyer said he would consider taking official action to address the matter if necessary at a later date.

The judge also confirmed Thursday that a class-action group of consumers has reached a settlement in principle with VW to deliver "substantial compensation" for owners of 3-liter, 6-cylinder diesel vehicles, including crossovers and sport-utility vehicles, that also violated emissions standards.

That $1 billion deal — reached by the Justice Department, EPA and California Air Resources Board and first announced Tuesday — will deliver buybacks for the 20,000 owners of the 2009 to 2012 Volkswagen Touareg and 2009 to 2012 Audi Q7, as well as a free fix and payouts for 63,000 owners of 2013 through 2016 3-liter diesel models.

Officials did not release details of the compensation plans on Thursday because the settlement is still being finalized.

But Breyer said he was "extremely pleased" by the deal. He will have to officially approve the accord before it moves forward.

VW will have more than a year to deliver a fix for the 3-liter vehicles, if necessary, Breyer said. If it can't do so, all of the units will qualify for the buyback.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.

 

All out buyback paperwork said was that the car had to be able to drive to the buyback dealer under its own 2.0 L power. That the only thing that could affect buyback value is mileage. Doesn't say anything about the condition of the car. It's pretty vague.