Irish consumer watchdog opens Volkswagen inquiry

A formal investigation into Volkswagen and its operation in the Republic has been launched by Ireland’s consumer watchdog in the wake of disclosures about the company’s understatement of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in its cars.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said it was “deeply concerned” about the situation which has affected more than 9,000 Irish car owners.

Confirming that a formal investigation into Volkswagen has now been opened, the chairwoman of the commission, Isolde Goggin, said it was “a priority” given “the potential scale of consumer detriment”.

She stressed the commission was “committed to obtaining the best outcome for Irish consumers and ensuring that they do not suffer as a consequence of being provided with misleading information” .

Ms Goggin said the commission was “deeply concerned” about the situation which has emerged in recent weeks, particularly the latest disclosure in relation to CO2 emission tests.

She said the level of CO2 emissions and the related issue of fuel economy were “key considerations [for consumers] when choosing a car and expressed concern that purchasers of Volkswagen cars “may have been influenced by information that would now seem to be inaccurate. While not confirmed, the company has estimated that in excess of 9,000 vehicles in the State are affected”.

The commission's investigation will establish whether there has been a breach of consumer protection law in Ireland. It will consider whether or not the information provided to consumers was misleading as well as the impact of any proposed remedy.

To date, there has been regular engagement between the commission and Volkswagen’s Irish arm in relation to the recent CO2 disclosure and an earlier issue which relates to NOx (ntirous oxide) emissions. A number of requests for information have been made as the commission works towards understanding the exact nature of these issues and the impact on consumers.