Suckers Wanted

A quick Google search on "Volkswagen" today provides many articles on the blatant cheating Volkswagen engaged in to defraud the American public into buying their so-called "clean diesel" cars. They are accused of, and have admitted to, installing sophisticated software to defeat the emissions testing process by only turning on the full emissions reduction system while under test.

We are the owners of not one, but two of the affected vehicles. A 2010 Jetta wagon and a 2012 Golf. In large part, we bought these cars because they delivered superior on-road performance and fuel economy, had an expectation of great engine longevity, and didn't compromise on emissions ... that great German engineering, you know. Too bad those brilliant engineers couldn't have spent more time making engineering breakthroughs and less time crafting sleazy computer algorithms.

We both wanted a green car and this looked like a good option based on our extensive reading. I also wanted to support the clean diesel efforts in this country. I had always wondered why Volkswagen had so little competition selling small clean diesel vehicles in this country. Now I know ... they couldn't do it either.

Though a strong government crackdown on these bastards would be gratifying, we will probably still be left holding the bag. How much will our total cost of ownership increase once the software is patched and how much will the resale value be affected? In the meantime, we have been and are still driving a dirty car, not the "clean diesel" we bought. Way to go you turkeys, here are at least two previously proud Volkswagen owners who have vowed never to buy another Volkswagen product.