Volkswagen Gives Diesel Owners $1,000 in Gift Cards Ahead of Recall

In an expensive downpayment for fixing 482,000 diesel engines, Volkswagen announced a package of incentives for current owners, including a $500 gift card, $500 off another VW, and three years of roadside assistance.

The package, which owners can begin signing up for today, comes as VW is still working on repairs needed to bring the vehicles with its 2-liter turbo diesel into compliance with federal emission laws. Last month, independent researchers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found software in the VW vehicles that spoofed their emissions tests, allowing them to spew up to 40 times the legal limit of dangerous nitrogen oxides in everyday driving.

“We are working tirelessly to develop an approved remedy for affected vehicles,” said Michael Horn, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “In the meantime, we are providing this goodwill package as a first step towards regaining our customers’ trust.”

Owners of the Audi A3 with the same engine will get a separate incentive that will be announced later this week. The gift cards can’t be transferred to a new owner if the car is sold.

U.S. senators Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Ed Markey, D-Mass., said the offers were far short of what VW owners deserve.