Audi, VW Korea Offer Goodwill Service Vouchers

Audi Volkswagen Korea announces a campaign to restore customer confidence in its vehicles and services by providing every owner with a 1 million won ($872) voucher that can be used at the company’s service centers.

The vouchers, valid for five years, will be given to customers who completed a purchase of any vehicle model before Dec. 31, 2016. An estimated 270,000 Volkswagen and Audi vehicles were sold in Korea before then so the liability for the German automaker and its luxury brand will total 270 billion won ($23.6 million).

Billed as the “We Care” campaign, the offer affects neither the current recall of 27,000 VW Tiguan models nor future recalls that will be made to correct emissions control or noise, vibration and harshness deficiencies in 80 Audi and VW models the Korean government decertified in August.

It is the first move made by VW and Audi to compensate customers who may have been affected by the emissions-cheating and false-NVH-reporting scandals, both of which are thought to have diminished the cars’ resale value.

The Tiguan recall, approved Jan. 12 by the Ministry of the Environment, involves replacing emissions-control software and takes about 30 minutes per vehicle.

Still under review are Audi and VW recall plans involving 99,000 vehicles that represent a large share of the vehicles that were decertified for failing to meet emissions-certification standards.

The voucher program is being overseen by Marcus Hellman, who on Feb. 1 was named co-CEO of Audi VW Korea in charge of business operations. The corporate attorney participated in establishing Audi VW in Korea in 2004 and has played a significant role in the automaker’s global response to the so-called Dieselgate scandal.

CEO Johannes Thammer is focusing his duties on sales and marketing, while Hellman is directing legal affairs and government relations for both Audi and VW in Korea.Hellman is directing legal affairs and government relations for both Audi and VW in Korea.

The automakers’ future in Korea still is uncertain as other recall applications are pending and many owners are suing both companies, demanding refunds of purchase or lease payments for their vehicles, or other forms of compensation.