South Korea is to ban the sale of Volkswagen models suspected of passing the local approval process with falsified reports and will also revoke certifications, a media report said on Monday.
The report noted that over 70 models from the German carmaker are thought to have received local approval with doctored reports on noise level, fuel efficiency and emissions.
“The administrative measures could affect as many as 100,000 to 150,000 vehicles.
“The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office officially requested the measures to the Ministry of Environment,’’ it said.
An unnamed ministry official was quoted saying they are reviewing the probe result delivered from the prosecution to sort out which models will be put under the administrative measures.
“After reviewing legal issues, we will notify Volkswagen of the results,’’ the official said.
Meanwhile local prosecutors have also begun further investigations into the local South Korea Volkswagen unit following revelations last year of an emissions scandal.
In 2015, the U.S. discovered a so-called defeat device in several Volkswagen diesel models that lowered emissions readings when a car would undergo testing.
The company later admitted that it had installed illegal software in some 11 million cars worldwide.