Volkswagen is voluntarily stopping the sale of some new and used Volkswagen and Audi diesels in North America as it works to resolve new allegations from the U.S. EPA.
The company told its dealers late last night to halt sales of new and used diesel Touareg SUVs from 2013 and onwards. Audi told its dealers to halt sales of new and used diesel versions of the A6, A7, A8 and sedans, as well as the Q5 and Q7, according to spokesman Brad Stertz.
The notices follow a decision this week by Porsche’s North American division to voluntarily suspend sales of diesel-powered Cayenne from 2014 to 2016 and until further notice. VW reiterated that the EPA notice was unexpected and that owners can operate their vehicles normally.
Volkswagen has rejected the EPA’s latest allegations that it cheated on diesel-emissions tests on 3.0-litre diesel engines used in some Porsche and other high-end vehicles. Software in the engines was not installed “in a forbidden manner” and Volkswagen is cooperating with the EPA to clarify the matter, according to official company statements.
Volkswagen had previously admitted to installing a so-called defeat device in cars equipped with the 2.0-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder engine from the 2009 to 2015 model years.
