Volkswagen Gives Korean Customers the Cold Shoulder after Emissions Scandal

Volkswagen AG, the German automaker, recently initiated a set of compensatory measures in the U.S. and Japan for customers whose vehicles provided manipulated, erroneous emissions data. (Image Courtesy of Pixabay)

SEOUL, May 20 (Korea Bizwire) – Volkswagen AG, the German automaker, recently initiated a set of compensatory measures in the U.S. and Japan for customers whose vehicles provided manipulated, erroneous emissions data. South Korean customers, however, seem to be left out of said measures, industry sources said on Friday. 

According to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (KAMA), Volkswagen cut prices of popular models and offered various benefits in Japan, and agreed to repurchase 500,000 vehicles affected by the scandal in the U.S. Other countries are also part of Volkswagen’s recall plan, but the company’s plans for South Korea are still unclear. ”In other countries, Volkswagen is trying to woo customers back through various incentives, but isn’t taking proper action here in Korea,” a source said. 

Industry sources speculate that Volkswagen’s high sales in South Korea are the reason for its comparatively negligent attitude towards local customers. Volkswagen sold around 35,700 vehicles in South Korea last year, trailing BMW and Mercedes-Benz to rank third among imported car brands, and its Tiguan 2.0 TDI BlueMotion was last year’s best-selling imported car in the country.

This recent development further tarnishes Volkswagen’s brand image after last year’s so-called ‘dieselgate scandal’ in which the automaker was discovered to have faked emissions results to meet tight regulations in the U.S. 

By M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)