F.B.I. Arrests Volkswagen Executive on Conspiracy Charge in Emissions Scandal

The F.B.I. has arrested a Volkswagen executive in Florida, accusing him of playing a central role in a broad conspiracy to keep United States regulators from discovering that diesel vehicles made by the company were programmed to cheat on emissions tests.

The executive, Oliver Schmidt, a German who is the former top emissions compliance manager for Volkswagen in the United States, was arrested on Saturday by investigators in Florida on a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States. He is expected to be arraigned on Monday.

The arrest of Mr. Schmidt is an escalation of the criminal investigation into emissions cheating by Volkswagen and comes amid talks between the company and the United States Justice Department about what penalties the carmaker should accept as part of a settlement. read more »

VW chiefs 'hushed up emission cheating'

VW executives knew about emissions cheating two months before the scandal broke, but chose not to tell US regulators, according to court papers. read more »

Volkswagen recalls 136,000 vehicles for antilock brake fix

Recall covers Volkswagen, Audis

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling nearly 136,000 Audi and Volkswagen autos to fix potential problems with their antilock brake systems.

The recall covers 135,683 vehicles, including certain 2009-10 Volkswagen Jetta A5 sedans, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. In them, the control unit for the antilock brake system may fail when the system or the auto's electronic stability control are activated. read more »

GM Drivers Say Sale Doesn’t Bar Ignition Switch Claims

Drivers suing General Motors in a multidistrict litigation over alleged ignition switch defects said GM cannot hide behind its 2009 bankruptcy sale to escape successor liability, telling a New York federal judge on Friday that allowing the automaker to evade their claims would undermine due process.

The drivers said GM’s current iteration — known as New GM — should still be responsible for the conduct of its predecessor, Old GM, noting the automaker is merely a continuation of the original company because New GM continues to use the same facilities, corporate headquarters and some executive board members. read more »