Volkswagen had hoped that all of the 3.0L V6 TDI models affected by the company's emissions scandal could be repaired, but a report from German magazine Der Spiegel, via Reuters, hints that may no longer be the case. In the US, Audi officials are in talks with authorities about fixing 85,000 cars and SUVs equipped with the 3.0L TDI that failed emissions testing, and around 25,000 of those may be unrepairable.
The US Environmental Protection Agency states that the models with offending V6 diesel engines are the 2009-2016 Q7, 2014-2016 Q5, A8, A7, and A6. Of these, the Q7 is the most plentiful, and has been using the engine the longest. Only the oldest models would need to be bought back, which means that 2009-2012 Q7 are the likely targets. The full-size SUV started using an updated version of the diesel engine in 2013, and all of the other affected V6 diesel powered vehicles use the newer engine, which Audi still believes can be brought into compliance. In a statement to Automotive News, Audi officials said that they "thank our customers for their continued patience" and that they have a conference scheduled with the courts for November 3rd to discuss the situation further. This report does not address Volkswagen Touareg or Porsche Cayenne models, which are also likely to be part of the buyback or repair offers.
While the effects for Canadian consumers of the US buybacks are still unclear, if the 2009-2012 Q7s are bought back and Audi offers the same deal here, it would likely apply to around 2,000 vehicles in Canada.
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