Volkswagen's parent company was charged in an international emissions scandal that broke two years ago, and last Tuesday, Ontario Ministry of Environment investigators raided Volkswagen Group Canada's Ajax offices.
The raid was done as a part of the ministry's continuing investigation on the pollution charge, and a charge that Volkswagen AG of Germany received last week, causing or permitting the operation of vehicles that did not comply with provincial emissions standards.
Volkswagen's act of equipping 11 million cars worldwide with software that detected when cars were being tested and turns off environmental controls during normal driving, was the start of a series of court appearances and buybacks.
In the U.S., Volkswagen pleaded guilty to defrauding the government in a scheme to cheat diesel emission rules and paid $4.3 billion (U.S.) in penalties and spent billions buying back cars.
In Canada, the Ontario Superior Court ruled members of a $2.1-billion class-action lawsuit could submit claims for reimbursement, with 105,000 Canadians getting between $5,100 and $8,000. They also had the option of returning their vehicle at a buyback price, or to have the proper modifications done to their vehicle in order for it to be approved by government regulators.
For more information on the scandal, check out our previous blog post on this matter.
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