VW Scandal Cost US Taxpayers At Least $50 Million In Green Car Subsides

The federal government paid out as much as $51 million in green car subsidies for Volkswagen diesel vehicles based on falsified pollution test results, according to a Times analysis of the federal incentives..

On Friday, federal and state regulators said the German automaker used software in 482,000 of its diesel vehicles since the 2009 model year to cheat on U.S. emissions tests. Environmental Protection Agency officials said Monday that the U.S. Department of Justice is also investigating.

The Times analysis matched Internal Revenue Service data with Volkswagen sales figures to determine the value of subsidies VW diesel buyers were eligible to collect in 2009, the first and only year the vehicles qualified. The $1,300 tax credit would have been available to buyers of about 39,500 Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen models that sold that year, according to Motor Intelligence, an industry research firm.
 

trmckin - 9/23/2015 7:54:04 AM

+2 Boost

Yet... According to several articles, this is just the "tip of the iceberg". As for Japanwse brands, they've had their fair of faults. It wasn't long ago that all people could talk about was unintended acceleration in Toyota. Right, wrong or indifferent... Japanese quality isn't what it used to be. Let's also not forget that many Japanese brands are partnered with automakers across the globe now in terms of tech and production. No maker is immune to something like this.

trmckin - 9/23/2015 9:28:27 AM

+3 Boost

Should also throw in the recent airbag issues. Even through its a third party, a manufacturer is only as good as its suppliers are.