Volkswagen to start recalls in France from 'early 2016': letter

Volkswagen has informed clients in France that early next year it will begin recalling vehicles to remove the pollution-cheating software that has ensnared the carmaker in a global scandal.

The company said in a letter to French clients it "has decided to undertake after-sales action on EA189 diesel engines in order to carry out a software correction" on the affected vehicles.

It has previously estimated that around one million vehicles in France have been equipped with the software which shuts off pollution controls when the vehicles are not undergoing emissions tests.

Volkswagen has estimated that some 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide have been fitted with the software, which results in them emitting considerably higher levels of pollutants.

The risk of tens of billions in fines, legal settlements and repair costs has wiped around 40 percent off the German automaker's market capitalisation.

VW France said it was making "individual contact" with affected clients.

"We will shortly present you in detail how this action which will start in early 2016 will unfold," said the letter from Volkswagen Group France President Jacques Rivoal.

The letter indicated that the software correction would cost customers nothing and that the operation would involve their vehicles being off the road for as short a time as possible, although it provided no details.

Rivoal also stressed that, even ahead of the recall, "I above all want to reassure customers that their vehicles are technically safe to drive."

Sales of the marque have dropped three percent in France in the wake of the scandal and Paris has opened a probe into possible fraud over the affair.

© 2015 AFP