Volkswagen, Audi to apologize for emission rigging

Local units of Volkswagen and Audi will apologize to their customers for the deepening emission rigging scandal and promise to take "every necessary measure," including a recall, to minimize inconvenience, company officials said Wednesday.

Volkswagen Korea plans to send out an apology letter to about 92,000 customers owning its cars, whose emission results are suspected of having been manipulated, the officials said.

"We are drafting the wording of the apology, which will be sent out sooner or later to our customers," a Volkswagen Korea official said on customary condition of anonymity.

"The apology letter will point out that we are deeply sorry for causing worries to our customers and will take necessary measures, including a recall, after a thorough investigation," he added.

Audi Korea also plans to apologize officially to its customers, a company official said.

"We will express our apology to customers and promise every possible measure, including a recall, to minimize inconvenience," he noted. "Whether to send out an apology letter to individual customers or post it online has yet to be decided."

This would mark the first time that local units of the embattled German carmaker officially apologize for the emission rigging scandal since the outbreak of the emission fiasco in September.

The move seems to be intended to ease growing complaints among customers here following the revelation last month that Volkswagen and its other brands, including Audi, manipulated their emission results of some diesel models in the United States.

South Korean authorities joined other countries in intensifying investigations into its suspected imported models. Last week, Seoul's environment ministry said that it has launched its own investigation into suspected Volkswagen and Audi models over the potential emissions scam.

Market experts presume that about 120,000 Volkswagen and Audi vehicles might be subject to a recall if they turn out to be manipulated by the same software found by the U.S. environment regulators. (Yonhap)