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Contradicted

A reliable and applicable record states the opposite.

Volkswagen AG said in November 2015 that no software had been installed in its 3.0 liter V6 diesel engines to alter emissions in a forbidden manner.

no software has been installed in the 3-liter V6 diesel power units
About
Volkswagen AG
Claim made by
The Christian Science Monitor, company statement
Published
3 November 2015
Original
Volkswagen in Germany denies new EPA charges on Audi, Porsche V-6 software
Evidence score
88 How it was scored
Last reviewed
25 October 2026

Why this label

Volkswagen issued the denial after the EPA's second notice of violation of 2 November 2015 on 3.0 liter carsS4S1. The EPA records that on 19 November 2015 Volkswagen officials told the agency the defeat device had existed in all US 3.0 liter diesel models since 2009S1. A separate US$1 billion settlement later addressed the 3.0 liter carsS2. The company's own later statement to the regulator states the opposite of its denial. We did not read the full plea statement of facts to see how it treats the 3.0 liter models.

Current procedural position

EPA notice of violation of 2 November 2015S1. Admission by Volkswagen to the EPA on 19 November 2015S1. Civil settlement for 3.0 liter cars noted by DOJ in January 2017S2.

Record supporting the assessment

Volkswagen officials informed EPA that the defeat device has existed in all of its U.S. 3.0 liter diesel models since 2009.
S1 Tier A US Environmental Protection Agency, Learn About Volkswagen Violations, Last updated 10 June 2026

Conflicting or limiting record

to alter emissions characteristics in a forbidden manner.
S4 Tier C Green Car Reports via The Christian Science Monitor, Volkswagen in Germany denies new EPA charges on Audi, Porsche V-6 software, 3 November 2015

Evidence score: 88 of 100

The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of Volkswagen AG. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.

ComponentPointsMaxReason
Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition?2830The EPA is the competent regulator and records the company's own admission.
DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts?1820The EPA page states the admission in words that oppose the denial.
CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point?1115The DOJ release refers to a separate settlement for 3.0 liter cars.
Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes?1215An admission to the regulator and a civil settlement, not a court finding on this point.
CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments?910No later change found.
ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment?1010Both the EPA page and the press report are public.
Total88100

Timeline

  1. EPA second notice of violation on 3.0 liter carsS1
  2. Report of Volkswagen's denialS4
  3. Volkswagen officials tell the EPA the device existed since 2009S1

Related cases

  • United States v. Volkswagen AGUS District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Criminal. 2:16-cr-20394.Stage: Sentenced. Final.
    • Guilty plea to three felony countsS3
    • Plea agreement accepted, US$2.8 billion criminal penalty, three years of probation and a monitorS3

Responses

  • Volkswagen AG, 3 November 2015: Volkswagen said no software had been installed in the V6 diesel units to alter emissions in a forbidden manner.S4

Revision history

  • Assessment first published with label Contradicted.

Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.

Sources

  1. S1Tier A Learn About Volkswagen ViolationsUS Environmental Protection Agency. Regulator press release. Last updated 10 June 2026.Records both notices of violation and Volkswagen's 19 November 2015 admission on 3.0 liter models. It does not quote a company admission of wrongdoing.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
  2. S4Tier C Volkswagen in Germany denies new EPA charges on Audi, Porsche V-6 softwareGreen Car Reports via The Christian Science Monitor. Press report. 3 November 2015.Report by John Voelcker quoting Volkswagen's denial. It records the company position, not the facts.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
  3. S3Tier A Volkswagen Diesel Engine Vehicle Matters, case updatesUS Department of Justice, Criminal Division. Regulator press release. Last updated 27 September 2023.Supports the case number, plea date and sentence. It has no entry on the end of probation or the monitorship.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
  4. S2Tier A Volkswagen AG Agrees to Plead Guilty and Pay $4.3 Billion in Criminal and Civil PenaltiesUS Department of Justice. Regulator press release. 11 January 2017.Supports the plea agreement, counts and penalties. It refers to the 3.0 liter cars only in the civil settlement context.Link working, checked 25 October 2026

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