Volkswagen only has itself to blame.
The automaker announced plans Tuesday that it will refit up to 11 million vehicles affected by its rigged emissions tests scandal, as reported by Reuters.
Easily one of the biggest recalls in the history of the auto industry, Volkswagen's new chief executive Matthias Mueller said the German carmaker would ask its drivers to have their affected diesel vehicles with the deceptive software refitted in the next few days. Analysts tell Reuters the recall could cost VW upwards of $6.5 billion.
Volkswagen had to expect the worst after admitting that 11 million of its vehicles had software installed, allowing them to cheat on emissions tests in the United States. Germany's transport minister also said that the automaker manipulated 2.8 million vehicles in Germany to cheat on their emissions tests as well.
A CNBC report on Monday even stated that of that amount, 1.42 million Audi vehicles—VW's luxury brand—in Western Europe had deceptive software installed, in addition to 577,000 in Germany and 13,000 more in the U.S.
"We are facing a long trudge and a lot of hard work," Mueller told top Volkswagen execs during a closed-door meeting Monday, Reuters learned. "We will only be able to make progress in steps and there will be setbacks."
Mueller will especially be challenged to clean up the mess left by former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn, who resigned amidst the scandal last Wednesday. German prosecutors announced Monday that they've opened an investigation in Winterkorn's practices. Germany's KBA watchdog has also given Volkswagen an October 7 deadline to present a solution plan to make all affected vehicles law abiding. This recall is a start.
The grand scope of this recall trumps Toyota's recall of 10 million-plus vehicles for over acceleration issues from 2009 to 2010, but isn't as big as that of several automakers' recalls for faulty Takata airbags.
