Almost 80,000 Volkswagen cars in Ireland have cheating software

Almost 80,000 Volkswagen cars here have been fitted with the emissions-cheating software.

After days of speculation, Volkswagen Ireland confirmed that 79,348 cars on Irish roads are affected.

The specific numbers of vehicles in Ireland affected per brand are: Volkswagen passenger cars (34,387), Audi (16,485), Seat (4,365), ?Skoda (16,004) and Volkswagen commercial vehicles (8,107).

These are vehicles sold through the Volkswagen authorised dealer network in Ireland. However, the company said the number of affected used vehicles which have been imported “is still under clarification”. This number could be up to an additional 30,000 cars, the company said.

In a statement, the company said it would be contacting customers with details of how to rectify the problem.

“Affected customers will be contacted, with details of a process to get their vehicles corrected in the near future. In the meantime, all vehicles are technically safe and roadworthy.

“Under the action plan, the Volkswagen Group brands whose vehicles are affected will present the technical solutions and measures to relevant responsible authorities in October. Customers with these vehicles will be kept informed over the coming weeks and months,” said the statement. The company also said an online service will be provided for concerned Volkswagen customers, so they can check if their cars have been fitted with the software.

“In the coming days, the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) details of affected vehicles will be released centrally from brands to retailers. In addition, an international online self-serve process for customers to check if their vehicle is affected based on VIN will be set up.”

“In addition for Ireland, a website for all brands based on registration number is planned to cover both domestic sales and privately imported used vehicles from other markets, such as the UK,” said the statement.