Older VW Touareg, Audi Q7 V6 diesels may face buyback

[Suarez™]

At least 21,000 older Volkswagen Touareg TDI and Audi Q7 3.0 TDI models sold in the U.S. could end up being bought back by the automaker as part of a 3.0-liter TDI recall, Reuters reports. Lawyers from VW Automotive Group updated U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer this week on the 3.0-liter diesel issue and indicated the automaker had made progress in negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice and the EPA over the fate of some 85,000 diesel vehicles from the Audi, Porsche and VW brands. The status conference took place almost a year to the day that the EPA sent VW a Notice of Violation in regards to the software discovered in the 3.0-liter diesels.

The 3.0-liter TDI fix, which is separate from the 2.0-liter diesel issue in some respects, has faced a number of setbacks despite VW's confidence in April of this year of quickly and easily receiving approval for what it termed a catalyst warm-up strategy in a range of vehicles. Initially, VW suggested the 85,000 vehicles in the U.S. would only require a software update, but the EPA went on to reject two technical proposals from the automaker during 2016.

Sources close to negotiations told Reuters that older Touareg and Q7 diesel models, available from the 2009 model year onwards, may have to be bought back while over 60,000 later versions could be repaired. Reuteres' sources did not mention which model years VW could end up having to purchase back. Other models that feature versions of the 3.0-liter engine include the Audi A6, A7, A8, Q5 and the Porsche Cayenne Diesel.

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