** Important News: New Vehicle Registrations on Hold

[Keith Smith]

I have a 2016, 150 DSG, took it for a service last year and had a few things fixed and it also had several "product enhancements" done at the same time. Unfortunately I have never made a careful study of the mpg, just checking the mfd regularly but in a casual way. However I am pretty sure that I now get considerably fewer miles per gallon (around 15% lower) than I did before the service. Made me wonder if VW made the engine run lean to get through the emissions tests then tweaked it back at the first service to prolong engine life.

 

[Samantha]

Okay, finally we have an answer from Volkswagen on our situation and although it is somewhat contradictory to yesterday’s conversation with the dealer, today’s telephonic array of spiel is a far more feasible explanation, albeit a ridiculous sequence of events given this is apparently all about an environmental issue.
This is what we have been told this afternoon...
Our 150 diesel manual Beach was built to the exact specification of our order and was shipped to the UK at week 50 as scheduled.
This vehicle will now never be registered for use and is scheduled to be returned to Germany either for reconfiguration or disposal.
The factory have allocated a new build slot of week 7 for our replacement California which will be of the exact specification of our original order with the exception of the 6 speed manual transmission being replaced with a 7 speed DSG system at no additional cost.
As there seems to be little option, we have decided to accept the replacement vehicle and we expect to take delivery around the 2nd week of March....

.......unless of course they decide to fit this one with a rocket engine, cover it in ceramic tiles and send it to the moon because the EU computer says it will be more environmentally friendly to do this than use it on Earth..

This does appear to be true. I am not a dealer but work closely with one who have noticed that VW are automatically reordering manual vehicles in as a DSG.

Even if you have a manual in stock ready to go at the dealership, chances are you will not be having this vehicle at all. I know someone who has theirs in stock awaiting resolution of the registration ban. And for some reason VW have ordered their exact vehicle to their spec, as a fresh factory order in DSG.

The only sensible reason behind this is the manuals in stock/at UK port/factory will never be released at all and will be eventually "disposed of". So most people with a manual sat at the dealer I highly doubt will ever get it, they will suddenly find a DSG replacement has been ordered for them which they will now have to wait for.

Can only hope that all these replacements don't slow down production lead times.

 

[Borris]

I guess Boris, that you will just keep driving your vehicle as it is. I doubt that you will be forced to have any modification carried out as it is perfectly legal as is. Emission standards are evolving and will apply to new vehicles. So drive and enjoy!

Yes Jack, but is it perfectly legal as it is? Emission standards are evolving but my current understanding/assumption from what's been said so far is that this is an existing emissions standard which VW have since discovered they are not meeting with these vehicles. Surely that is the nub of this issue?

If VW have discovered that this model doesn't comply and are stopping production of new models then why does that discovery only apply to those new models. The T6 150 ps manual is either Euro 6 compliant or it isn't regardless of whether its new or not.

Yes, I will continue to drive and enjoy my Beach and am not overly bothered by all of this. However, VW clearly are and will have to show to both new and existing owners that they are squeaky clean on this issue. If they can't fix it they are going to have sort it out some way or other to the satisfaction of both the relevant authorities and their customers.

Can anyone confirm if the emissions standards have changed since the start of the T6 production run?

 

[Borris]

The tax laws for April are the reason for all this confusion.

Who knows, you may be right.
However if that were true wouldn't it merely be the case that owners of the effected vehicles might end up paying more tax due to higher emissions? If it were purely a tax issue I can't see any reason why VW would stop dead production of this model without any explanation.

 

[Fudge]

Was your registered before the hike in tax? I guess if it was then it meet the requirements at the time and stands same as T5 models.
Just a thought have you tried dealer you purchased it from maybe they can help.

I’m signing off from this and getting on enjoying my California. Good luck hope you get your answers.

 

[CampervanTime]

Isn’t this all more to do with the cars meeting the new WLTC standard (which includes the RDE element) before September 18?

https://www.dieselnet.com/standards/cycles/wltp.php

My undertstanding of things is that euro6 is the current standard and there is a NEDC test that gives the mpg and CO figures.

From September 17 WLTC was introduced and has been running along side NEDC but from September 18 there must be WLTC figures for newly registered vehicles. Because WLTC includes the RDC and works in tandem with Euro6, my understanding is that this is where this new RDC comes in to play.

Therefore, any existing vehicles that were/are registered prior to Sept 18 are ‘fine’ but obviously VW are trying to sort things out early....

 

[Borris]

Isn’t this all more to do with the cars meeting the new WLTC standard (which includes the RDE element) before September 18?

https://www.dieselnet.com/standards/cycles/wltp.php

My undertstanding of things is that euro6 is the current standard and there is a NEDC test that gives the mpg and CO figures.

From September 17 WLTC was introduced and has been running along side NEDC but from September 18 there must be WLTC figures for newly registered vehicles. Because WLTC includes the RDC and works in tandem with Euro6, my understanding is that this is where this new RDC comes in to play.

Therefore, any existing vehicles that were/are registered prior to Sept 18 are ‘fine’ but obviously VW are trying to sort things out early....

I've just taken a look at that link and it all seems straight forward enough .

You may be right, we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[CampervanTime]

Clear as mud isn't it

Why they couldn't have just called it Euro7 or Euro6+ or something we could all understand is beyond me.

No wonder the public are starting to buy petrols again !!

 

[Oceansofspace]

I am guessing the reason that this is not "national news" is that it's about vans. Dealers have a vested interest in putting a lid any bad news, after all, they are signed up with VW and have to follow VW policy or loose their franchise.
We were certain that, later this year, we would be buying an Ocean. However, we are having second thoughts.
Having gone through the last emissions scandal, I would have thought that Vw's house would be in order. Now we doubt this and properly doubt VW. How many folks are going to look at the Marco polo with renewed interest? We are in this camp

 

[GrannyJen]

I think that the only connection with the emissions scandal is VW being totally cautious now.

They have said mid February. As much as I am jaundiced towards the company, and their communications with dealers and customers has been abysmal, there is no evidence of wrong doing or subterfuge. They have found that a small part of their overall production affecting a particular registration category is possibly/actiually/potentially non-compliant, have submitted a fix and now awaiting the the appropriate German authority to agree to that fix.

A two month delay in customers who were due to collect their vehicles actually getting them.

 

[Hmg11]

We originally wanted a DSG but decided to save ourselves the money as the sale of our house hadn’t gone though yet - we’d be happy if they swapped ours, HOWEVER... we finally spoke to the dealer and our Cali is registered to us but untaxed, the dealer still has 15k of ours and is *still* in discussion with the accounts manager about getting that back to us. I have no idea where we stand in all of this as we seem to be the only ones with a registered van that is stuck at the dealership.

 

[Jay20cali]

After picking ours up in November sounds to me like it’s one of the last ones out of the door before all this nonsense started,
it wasn’t actually due until December so it was a pretty close shave by all accounts

I’d be telling fibs if I said I haven’t been tempted to call the dealer to see how this is going to effect my van future and present???

After looking through the posts many times over the past weeks some are a bit hearsay,some scaremongering others seem to be a bit more based on what vw have apparently said..
it’s really out of order that VW think it’s ok to mess with peoples lives money time and minds .
Not much loyalty towards its camper van customers that have made them what they are today ,,
I’ll still buy VW as there’s no camper out there that has the same coolness following or history as a vw
In 30 years time vdub heads will be saying Check out that t6 150 manual there like rocking horse sing that’s one of the last ones ever made ha ha
I wonder

 

[Fudge]

They are with doubt the best vehicle on the market and no matter what happens with emissions and all the nonsense doing the rounds probably for years to come.
The market for leisure, camper vans, motorhome is huge and always will be and therefore demand will always be high. I sold my 67 VW bus and the sheer demand was incredible. On my second California now and have no intentions of parting with it.
I say just enjoy and never look back.

 

[Hotel California]

Any of you to be owners "on hold" need a avatarpicture....

 

[Digger]

Isn’t this all more to do with the cars meeting the new WLTC standard (which includes the RDE element) before September 18?

https://www.dieselnet.com/standards/cycles/wltp.php

My undertstanding of things is that euro6 is the current standard and there is a NEDC test that gives the mpg and CO figures.

From September 17 WLTC was introduced and has been running along side NEDC but from September 18 there must be WLTC figures for newly registered vehicles. Because WLTC includes the RDC and works in tandem with Euro6, my understanding is that this is where this new RDC comes in to play.

Therefore, any existing vehicles that were/are registered prior to Sept 18 are ‘fine’ but obviously VW are trying to sort things out early....

From asking various VW sources I think itguy has got it spot on. The issue and action happened when WLTC test results showed non compliance. VW then bit the bullet and notified the authorities and stopped delivery. It only applies to vehicles after that date so earlier registered vehicles are apparently o.k.
It would be interesting to see how other manufacturers comply or not as RDE or RDC seems to be almost impossible to comply with.
Hopefully VW get it sorted sooner rather than later.

 

[CampervanTime]

Yep, and if they do get it sorted so they are compliant then hopefully that will mean that even if they are registered after the 1st April when our new VED rules come in, it won’t affect things as the Cali will have a valid RDE certificate. Maybe we’ll look back in a few months time and say what a good, proactive job VW have done on this???

 

[GrannyJen]

Yep, and if they do get it sorted so they are compliant then hopefully that will mean that even if they are registered after the 1st April when our new VED rules come in, it won’t affect things as the Cali will have a valid RDE certificate. Maybe we’ll look back in a few months time and say what a good, proactive job VW have done on this???

Proactive but yet again total arrogance towards those who matter, the customer.

I feel quite defensive towards VW. They have found something, they have been ever so good at being compliant, they have been wonderful in not being accused of fiddling again, lots of them have been saved from 7 years in the slammer, they have been crystal clear it is going to be mid-february before normal service resumes, VW customer care have offered lots of replacement vehicles for those who have sold and now cannot collect....

Totally exemplary

Except....

Where is the totally transparent, clear, understandable, letter to the person who has actually offered them cash and signed a contract and built their hopes up on collecting a vehicle? It is as though the customer does not count, they are at the end of the food chain.

 

[CampervanTime]

Yes, you're right on the comms side of things. It does seem like they thought it wouldn't get noticed too much as it could be just swallowed up with a bit of an extended lead time (and orders were running at 6+ months for delivery but came down to 3 months or so, so if the exception was 6+ months, then customer expectation would be met). The issue is with those few people who have got vans built and sitting at dealers that now are not being registered, plus those who ordered one thing and will be getting another (Manual / DSG).

It will be really interesting to see what happens with mine. Dealer told me 5 months or so for delivery when I ordered late October. That would bring it to be March. I have build week 4 (starts tomorrow) so mine ours might just catch everything 'right' so it can be on schedule. We'll see I suppose.

 

[burnercan]

I thought it seemed a bit strange that the prominent display of various Multivan models at my local dealer seemed to all but disappear sometime in December. After reading all 21 preceding pages, maybe I'll pop in and check the status of my order (150DSG4M Beach) that was placed in early October with a 33 week lead estimate...

 

[blondebier]

I have just spoken to our contact at VWCC and as mentioned above they are were not originally aware of this however they have received quite a few phone calls today about it and are awaiting an update from the brand department.

They did also mention that a dedicated helpline is currently being set up for people to call but this is not active yet.

Hi Martin,

I just wondered if your contact at VWCC had any update on this?

It looks like Calfornia Chris (at least via his youtube channel) has stopped providing any further detail. (He implied he might have something to share 2 weeks ago)

If VW start shipping units again in February are they going to force these through as 67 registrations to keep up with dealer targets or allow owners to have them registered in March? (If so, I'd be half tempted to cancel and buy a pre-reg vehicle and save £xxx's)

Any update you can provide would be helpful.

 

[California7]

Hi Martin,

I just wondered if your contact at VWCC had any update on this?

It looks like Calfornia Chris (at least via his youtube channel) has stopped providing any further detail. (He implied he might have something to share 2 weeks ago)

If VW start shipping units again in February are they going to force these through as 67 registrations to keep up with dealer targets or allow owners to have them registered in March? (If so, I'd be half tempted to cancel and buy a pre-reg vehicle and save £xxx's)

Any update you can provide would be helpful.

I told my dealer that if the van arrived in February I would delay registration until 1st March. He was happy with this considering the circumstances...

 

[blondebier]

I told my dealer that if the van arrived in February I would delay registration until 1st March. He was happy with this considering the circumstances...

When I suggested this to my dealer they implied that the emissions issue might work in my favour and I might "get lucky".

I really had to hold my tongue.

He might "get lucky" and keep the business. Then again, if it's a 67 plate he might not.

 

[audio2]

Just heard from Ismahil on live chat that he can confirm that my vehicle is shown as status code 20 which means it has a confirmed build week 4 which is week commencing 22nd January 2018. This means that your vehicle is currently at the factory being built.

Now its just matter of getting it to the UK & solving the emission problem.

 

[Martin]

Hi Martin,

I just wondered if your contact at VWCC had any update on this?

It looks like Calfornia Chris (at least via his youtube channel) has stopped providing any further detail. (He implied he might have something to share 2 weeks ago)

If VW start shipping units again in February are they going to force these through as 67 registrations to keep up with dealer targets or allow owners to have them registered in March? (If so, I'd be half tempted to cancel and buy a pre-reg vehicle and save £xxx's)

Any update you can provide would be helpful.

Not yet but they have kept in regular contact to say 'no news' I will chase up again at the end oglf the week.

 

[Blue Yonder]

Seems the TDI version of the Ocean and Beach are no longer available to select. Only the petrol models! "Trouble at the VW Mill"?