On Wed, 11 Nov 2015 10:52:00 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 11/11/2015 10:14 AM, Neill Massello wrote:
Don Y wrote:

Why not put that money towards a
real solution instead of just giving it away?

My guess is that few VW owners truly want a "real solution" because it
would reduce the performance and fuel economy of their vehicles. Like
most people, they may care about air quality but don't want to be the
ones to pay for it.

The Seinfeld "Low Fat Frozen Yogurt" episode? :

But, this (probably) isn't a case where folks can "avoid" any
eventual fix and just "settle" for the bribe^H^H^H payoff.
When VW comes out with a fix, neglecting to take advantage
of it could very probably leave them with undriveable vehicles.
I'm sure someone will come up with a testing strategy that defeats
the "cheating device" so vehicles that still have that in place
will find themselves failing emissions tests.

And, as this is now a widely publicized problem, only the completely
clueless will fail to check potential "used car" purchases for
whether or not they have been successfully "recalled" (fixed).
I suspect VW will be required to produce a web site that allows
a VIN to be entered and the update status verified.

I.e., I don't see the value to VW for the "giveaway" -- except to
possibly shore up an eroding public image and bolster resale
values in the interim?


The "giveaway" is tied to a trade? If it gets the subject cars out of
the hands of owners, it limits their liability to the owners - when
the penalty is assessed only "current owners" may be able to claim the
higher awards??? Sounds like a real good idea to "buy them off cheap"
if that is the case.