--- title: The Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Scandal, By the Numbers description: Nearly 500,000 diesel Jettas, Passats, Beetles, Golfs, and A3s were recalled in an emissions scandal that could cost Volkswagen $18B in fines. authors: - name: Ethan Wolff-Mann url: https://money.com/author/ethan-wolff-mann/ at_money_since: 2015 articles: 160 covers: - Business - Banking - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Economy and Politics - Education - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Shopping - Taxes - Technology social: - https://x.com/ewolffmann former_staff: true published: '2015-09-21T17:13:06.000Z' modified: '2015-09-21T17:13:06.000Z' section: Business tags: - auto industry - Automakers - Autos - Diesel - Recalls - Volkswagen word_count: 256 canonical: https://money.com/volkswagen-epa-diesel-scandal/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![volkswagen dealership sign](https://img.money.com/2015/09/150921_em_volkswagenrecall.jpg) Last week, the [EPA accused Volkswagen](http://fortune.com/2015/09/20/vw-winterkorn-apology-emissions/) of deliberately falsifying tests of its diesel engine cars so that the vehicles would pass anti-pollution standards. A massive recall of nearly half a million Volkswagen diesel cars was ordered, causing a major stir in the industry—and especially among VW owners who had been drawn to the vehicles because of the automaker's "clean diesel" claims. Let's look at the situation by the numbers. **482,000** Diesel cars affected, which include TDI Jettas, Beetles, Golfs, and Audi A3s from 2009-15 and Passats from 2014-15. **$37,500** Fine *per vehicle* that the German automaker could face in the U.S. **$18 billion** Possible total penalties faced by Volkswagen, and that figure doesn't include fixing the recalled cars. **40** Times over the legal limit of certain types of pollution emitted by the vehicles, including nitrogen oxide—which can cause respiratory problems. **$6,855** Premium that buyers were paying for Passat TDI cars over standard gasoline versions. **\-20%** The hit Volkswagen [stock has taken](http://fortune.com/2015/09/21/billions-wiped-off-volkswagen-shares-by-emissions-cheating-scandal/?xid=soc_socialflow_twitter_FORTUNE) since the scandal. **12** Number of months Volkswagen has been [denying cheating](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/22/business/international/volkswagen-shares-recall.html) on the emissions test. **2017** When Volkswagen [may sell diesel cars again](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/22/business/international/volkswagen-shares-recall.html) in the U.S., now that [sales have been halted](http://www.wsj.com/articles/volkswagen-ceo-apologizes-after-epa-accusations-1442754877). **2.0** Liter 4-cylinder engines affected. Larger diesel engines used in SUVs don't have [the software](http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100125_vw-diesel-emissions-recall-what-you-need-to-know-in-10-questions) at the center of the controversy. **$0** Current resale value of affected cars in California, because the cars were sold as "non-compliant" (and therefore cannot be resold). **14.28%** Of affected cars that are registered in California **23** Percentage of Volkwagens [sold in August](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/business/international/volkswagen-chief-apologizes-for-breach-of-trust-after-recall.html) that were diesels. ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/volkswagen-epa-diesel-scandal/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Business", "item": "https://money.com/business/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Branding", "item": "https://money.com/branding/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Scandal, By the Numbers" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/volkswagen-epa-diesel-scandal/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/volkswagen-epa-diesel-scandal/", "name": "The Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Scandal, By the Numbers", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2015-09-21T17:13:06.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/volkswagen-epa-diesel-scandal/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/volkswagen-epa-diesel-scandal/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2015-09-21T17:13:06.000Z" }, { "@type": "Article", "headline": "The Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Scandal, By the Numbers", "articleSection": "Business", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2015/09/150921_em_volkswagenrecall.jpg", "width": 2100, "height": 1443, "caption": "150921_EM_VolkswagenRecall" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ethan Wolff-Mann", "url": "https://money.com/author/ethan-wolff-mann/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/ethan-wolff-mann/#author", "sameAs": [ "https://x.com/ewolffmann" ] } ], "publisher": "https://money.com/#organization", "datePublished": "2015-09-21T17:13:06.000Z", "description": "Nearly 500,000 diesel Jettas, Passats, Beetles, Golfs, and A3s were recalled in an emissions scandal that could cost Volkswagen $18B in fines.", "abstract": "Nearly 500,000 diesel Jettas, Passats, Beetles, Golfs, and A3s were recalled in an emissions scandal that could cost Volkswagen $18B in fines.", "@id": "https://money.com/volkswagen-epa-diesel-scandal/", "inLanguage": "en-US", "dateModified": "2015-09-21T17:13:06.000Z", "wordCount": 256, "keywords": [ "auto industry", "Automakers", "Autos", "Diesel", "Recalls", "Volkswagen" ], "about": [ { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Business", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business" ] }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Branding", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branding" ] } ] } ] } ```