MOTORING NEWS - Automotive News Europe reports that the KBA, the federal motor vehicle authority in Germany, warned the owners of certain Volkswagen diesel cars to get their cheating diesels fixed or risk losing their car registrations.
According to the KBA statement, owners have had long enough to get their cars on recall fixed since the diesel cheating catastrophe broke three years ago. According to the news agency, the KBA has already de-registered a few Audis and Volkswagens.
More vehicles are at risk of being taken off the road in the German state of Bavaria, but have been given a grace period to have the repair seen to.
The recall for affected VW diesel cars is compulsory. Cars that are not fixed can eventually be taken out of service. Subject to the release date of the updates, the car owners have had about eighteen months - plenty of time to react to the recall, according to the KBA.
The move comes after the KBA approved software fixes by Volkswagen early in 2016 to correct the manipulating engine control software in the 1,2, 1,6 and 2,0-litre EA 189 engines.
It appears that only a small number of people are affected, since the KBA said 95% of the nearly 2,5-million cars affected in Germany got their cheating programmes fixed. The view is that a small percentage of owners and cars are still out there commuting and polluting and the German government has run out of patience with those procrastinating owners.
Swiss authorities have indicated that they've had enough of cheating diesel engines in their country as well. Reuters reported that they've banned the Mercedes-Benz Vito, the Porsche Macan and Porsche Cayenne diesel vehicles. Switzerland won't register vehicles imported later than17 August. Vehicle models affected are the Mercedes Vito 1,6-litre diesel, Porsche Macan 3-litre diesel and Cayenne 4,2-litre diesel.
All should adhere to Euro 6 emission standards. Daimler said it had stopped exporting the Vito model after German authorities ordered a recall and halt to new registrations for the vehicle in May. This also affected 24 Vito vehicles destined for Switzerland, a spokesman for the German manufacturer said.
It was further reported that cars already registered in Switzerland were exempted, but that they'll have to be retrofitted to conform to requirements.
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