Opel’s Volkswagen-ish pollution fraud scandal

This is a 12 May 2016 German ARD TV video on the Opel pollution fraud scandal. ARD TV claims that year after year 7,000 people in Germany die as a result of gas emissions by cars.

Translated from Dutch NOS TV; the ‘RDW’ mentioned in the article is the watchdog for cars:

RDW will possibly recall Opel Zafira cars from all over Europe

Today, 18:03

After Volkswagen possibly tens of thousands Opel Zafira cars will be recalled to the garages, because of fraudulent software manipulating nitrogen oxide emissions. The RDW told the NOS that. Opel in Germany is under fire after investigations by the weekly Der Spiegel and the ARD TV show Monitor.

Because the Opel Zafiras in the Netherlands had been approved for all of Europe, the RDW must coordinate the Europe-wide recall. It would be the first time since the Volkswagen scandal that a car manufacturer is obliged to recall a car and change the software. …

In the television show Monitor a German hacker showed that the systems which regulate the emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in Opel Zafiras are turned off completely under normal driving conditions. Eg, reduction of the emission only works optimally between 17 and 33 degrees Celsius. Also if the car is riding at high altitude the systems are said not to work. …

The director of Opel has admitted that the Zafira’s system may switch itself off, but stresses that this is not illegal. According to Opel switching off is necessary to protect the motor.

Recall

The German Transport Minister doubts this explanation by Opel. He decided last night to give Opel two more weeks to come up with a well-founded explanation for the manipulation of the emissions. If the minister would decide after two weeks that Opel does act contrarily to the law, the RDW will proceed with the recall of all Opel Zafiras in Europe that use this software.

At the RDW a possible recall is meanwhile being prepared. Next week, the RDW wil go along with German colleagues to visit Opel and already discuss a practical implementation of the recall. How many cars right across Europe are affected is not yet known according to the RDW.

Not only Opel Zafira scandal; also Opel Astra scandal. See also here.

The owners of Opel are General Motors in the USA. They have a fraud scandal as well.

Fiat cars software fraud as well: here. And here.

TOYOTA RECALLS 1.6 MILLION VEHICLES As part of the ongoing recalls for faulty Takata air bags. Included in the recall are some of the Corolla, Matrix, Yaris, 4Runner, Sienna, Scion xB, Lexus ES, GX and IS vehicles which were built between 2006 and 2011. [Reuters]

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