Audi admits Volkswagen Installed Defeat Device in 85,000 more cars

Audi admitted that there are some 85,000 more Volkswagen cars with illegal defeat devices that can disable emissions control functions.

According to Digital Trends, the vehicles are U.S.-spec cars with 3.0-liter TDI V6 engine, which are typically under the hoods of Audi models like the A6, A7, A8, Q5, and Q7. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Resource Board (CARB) reported that the devices are in cars manufactured between 2009 and 2016.

The Economic Times wrote that Audi's chief executive and engineers met EPA officials last week and admitted that the defeat device software were installed in 3 liter diesel engines in sports utility cars of Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen. Meanwhile, VW denied the allegation early November saying that there were no software in the said cars to manipulate emissions results.

Audi said, "One of them is regarded as a defeat device according to applicable US law. Specifically, this is the software for the temperature conditioning of the exhaust-gas cleaning system."

In a report by the Financial Times, this new information is going to weaken VW's statement that the problem is only limited to a group of engineers. The giant car manufacturer has already admitted that it installed defeat devices in 11 million diesel cars all over the world.

VW is also facing a third emissions problem after admitting that 800,000 cars were sold with a pitch of low carbon dioxide level and high fuel efficiency.

Audi announced Monday that it would voluntarily stop the sales of car models involved in the scandal until further notice. The car company would also update the software and provide a customer-friendly solution to the problem. VW and Porsche have also issued stop-sale order on their 3.0-liter TDI engine. Representatives from each company are working with federal authorities to solve the issue. Meanwhile, the EPA could fine Volkswagen Group $37,500 for each vehicle with the defeat device. This means the entire Dieselgate scandal could cost the company $21 billion in penalties.