Volkswagen Reverses Course in New EPA Dispute Over V6 Diesel Engines

An Audi A8 diesel

Volkswagen announced Wednesday it was temporarily halting the sale of thousands of its larger vehicles with diesel engines following new claims by the Environmental Protection Agency that they use software that allows the car to cheat on an emissions test.

The Wolfsburg-based automaker told its dealers in the United States and Canada to stop selling all Volkswagen and Audi brand vehicles with 3.0-liter V6 diesel engines produced for model years 2013 through 2016.

The move impacts the 2013 Audi A7, the 2014-2015 Audi A6, A7, A8, Q5, and Q7, and the 2013-2016 Volkswagen Touareg. On Tuesday, Porsche, a unit of Volkswagen, halted sales of its 2014-2016 Cayenne Diesel SUV.

On Monday, Volkswagen rejected allegations from the EPA that claimed that the engines used a defeat device to pass emissions tests and would otherwise emit far more pollutants on the road.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)