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Australian drivers have been slow to respond to Volkswagen's diesel emissions fix amid conflicting reports of its affect on driveability and fuel economy.
Just 22 per cent of almost 80,000 local vehicles affected by Volkswagen's emissions scandal have been fitted with replacement software designed to remove controversial "defeat device" programming in diesel vehicles around the world. Audi says 26 per cent of affected customers have addressed the issue.
Volkswagen Australia says some customers may be waiting for a more convenient time to address recalls launched in the second half of 2016. It is "confident in the effectiveness of the software update", which has been fitted to more than 3 million cars around the world. VW says engine performance and fuel economy following the update "remain unchanged" in a full statement available below.
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But a number of owners in Australia and overseas remain unconvinced following reports the updated software can have a negative effect on fuel consumption, performance and engine noise.
Public posts on Australia's AusAmarok.com.au website by owners claiming to have the new software fitted include responses ranging from cars that feel "better" to others with "a drop off in torque", increased fuel use and "a significant loss of get up and go".
Australia's revised tune arrived later than repairs offered in Europe due to hang-ups in the local approval process.
But Irish Volkswagen owners have also ignored Volkswagen's recall, with The Times reporting more than 70 per cent of owners have not taken part in recalls that started more than a year ago.
Some customers in the UK have reported increased fuel use and rattling that "sounds like a woodpecker in the engine bay". British aftermarket firm CC Tuning analysed Volkswagen's fix, finding that reworked fuel loads could affect driveability before suggesting owners "think twice before going back for the update".
Drive found a similarly mixed response from a handful of independent Volkswagen workshops in Australia. Some had no issue with the revised engine management, while others are advising customers to avoid it.
"I've had a few people say it doesn't help the fuel economy and the car doesn't run as well," said the owner of a specialist VW workshop in Sydney.
"If it was my car I wouldn't worry about it."
A local owner of two Volkswagen models subject to the recall told Drive his plan is to "sit back and watch what happens", rather than getting the recall done.
Another driver on Australia's VWwatercooled.com.au internet forum said they would be "avoiding the fix until VW can substantiate their claims".
While Volkswagen says the recall has no adverse effects, it has not published detailed information surrounding its rectification work.
An unverified data sheet purporting to be from a diesel Audi A5 2.0 TDI has been posted on German bulletin boards suggesting that although peak power and torque outputs have not fallen, the revised software offers less mid-range torque than original programming.
Respected German publication Auto Motor und Sport conducted a complex analysis of the updated diesel software for Volkswagen's Amarok ute in 2016. It found that although power and torque values for the Amarok remain unchanged, test cars fitted with the software use an additional 0.5 to 0.7 litres per 100 kilometres of fuel - an extra $100 to $150 in Australia over an annual average of 15,000 kilometres.
Volkswagen's official position is that the fuel economy in all models affected by the issue has not changed, a result backed by other independent tests.
While the software recall is mandatory in some regions, Australian owners can choose not to have the work completed.
Yet Volkswagen came under fire in February for asking owners reluctant to have the software fitted to sign a "reporting form for recall refusal" requiring customers to waive consumer rights and "accept liability for any loss or damage that occurs as a result".
ACCC chairman Rod Sims told the ABC the waiver was "outrageous", while Maurice Blackburn lawyers representing a class action against the manufacturer put forward the document as evidence Volkswagen has treated customers unfairly.
Volkswagen and Audi face ongoing legal action in Australia from customer class actions as well as the ACCC. VW says it has not broken local laws.
Volkswagen Australia's statement:
"With the recent approval of some 70,000 cars in addition to almost 9,000 Amarok cars approved in February 2016, updates for almost 80,000 diesel vehicles have been made or will soon be available to customers and customers were being kept up to date.
We are confident in the effectiveness of the software update, based on the experience of more than 3 million customers worldwide across the various brands who have had the update implemented to date; testing performed by type approval authorities in Europe; and the results of independent before and after testing of emissions and fuel consumption by three of the world's oldest and respected independent motorists organisations in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
In approving the update, the type approval authorities in Europe conducted a review and certified that following the update the fuel consumption figures and CO2 emissions originally listed by the manufacturer were confirmed. They further certified that previous engine performance, maximum torque and previous noise emissions remain unchanged.
Australian Government authorities have accepted that vehicles which have had the update meet Australian Design Rule (ADR) requirements for emissions. The communications with customers inviting them to come to a dealership and have the update implemented voluntarily were finalised in consultation with the ACCC. The recall is strongly recommended by Volkswagen but is voluntary - whether or not customers elect to have the update implemented, they do not waive their legal rights under the Australian Consumer Law, their warranty or otherwise."
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