Car manufacturer Volkswagen AG announced that owners of the cars affected by the recently discovered diesel-emission scandal will receive $1,000 worth of gift cards as part of the company's gesture of goodwill.
Volkswagen have created a website where owners of affected vehicles can enter their respective vehicle identification numbers in order to find out if they are qualified to get the $1,000 gift cards.
Volkswagen posted on the website, "Over the past several weeks, we've apologized to our loyal customers about the 2.0L TDI emissions issue. As we work tirelessly to develop a remedy, we ask for your continued patience."
Volkswagen is offering owners of affected vehicles a $500 prepaid Visa card and $500 in dealership credits along with three years of free roadside assistance, according to Bloomberg. The "Goodwill Package" is available only to registered owners or lessees as of Nov. 8. Those who are eligible to receive the package will have until Apr. 30, 2016 to redeem the gift cards.
According to The Guardian, the Environmental Protection Agency discovered in September that more than 500,000 Volkswagen vehicles in the United States did not comply or meet US emission standards. The agency added that the vehicles were equipped with software specifically designed to cheat emission tests. Affected vehicles includes those equipped with two-liter, four-cylinder diesel engines.
The scandal has cost Volkswagen CEO Michael Winterkorn his job. As of this writing, at least 200 lawsuits have already been filed against Volkswagen since the scandal surfaced.
New reports are claiming that Volkswagen may be facing yet another environment compliance scandal, this time affecting an additional 800,000 vehicles.