— Volkswagen has received about 17,000 complaints in the UK from customers whose vehicles were allegedly repaired as part of a massive recall of diesel vehicles that violated emissions laws.
VW owners are complaining about busted exhaust gas valves, lower fuel economy, diesel particulate filters that clog and other problems.
European VW owners didn't receive the kind of compensation and buybacks offered to U.S. customers, leaving the folks across the pond to keep their diesel vehicles and depend on recalls that allegedly fix the emissions systems.
Volkswagen told UK consumers and regulators the repairs to the emissions systems wouldn't cause harm to the vehicles, but customers clearly have problems with VW's promises.
It's possible people are imagining their diesel vehicles are experiencing problems since the repairs. However, UK authorities say customers of different VW brands are reporting they experience identical problems.
UK customers complain about dealerships that neglect to warn owners about the changes to the vehicles after the recall work is complete, a serious mistake when 17,000 customers have complained about that work.
There are also worries the 17,000 complaints are nothing compared to how many customers are experiencing problems but won't take the time to make formal complaints.
Volkswagen says its fix for the vehicles was tested and approved by regulators who found no ill effects after repairs were made. But customers say the authorities apparently didn't test the vehicles long enough, and the automaker has admitted as much by updating the recall software from its original creation.