Diesel Volkswagen owners across California will soon begin choosing whether to get rid of their cars or bring them in for repairs. A federal judge recently approved a nearly $15 billion settlement for the carmaker’s emissions scandal.
One option owners have is to bring their diesel Volkswagen in for repairs, so it can meet emissions standards without cheating.
“It started off being like, 'Of course, I’ll keep the car,' ” says Sam Molmud, a digital marketing manager in San Francisco. He did months of research before buying his 2014 Golf TDI but is now worried the fix could sap its vaunted fuel economy, and make it less fun to drive.
His other option is a buyback — enough money to pay off what he still owes a local credit union and put some extra in his pocket.
“The universe is saying 'Hey, here’s an opportunity to walk away from this car clean, get some extra cash and get a used car that’s probably just as good, and not have a loan,' ” Molmud says.
Others aren’t exactly thrilled with the prospect of having to shop for a new car, but they have some time to figure it out.
The deadline to choose a buyback or repair isn’t until September 2018.
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