WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday approved one of the biggest corporate settlements on record, Volkswagen AG’s (VOWG_p.DE) $14.7 billion deal arising from its diesel emissions cheating scandal, and the German automaker said it would begin buying back polluting cars in mid-November.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco signed off on VW’s settlement with federal and California regulators and the owners of the 475,000 polluting diesel vehicles in a pivotal moment for the world’s No. 2 automaker as it tries to move past a scandal that has engulfed it for more than a year.

VW admitted in September 2015 to installing secret software in its diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests and make them appear cleaner in testing than they really were. In reality, the vehicles emitted up to 40 times the legally allowable pollution levels.

Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller told reporters in Berlin that Breyer’s approval was “an important milestone for us on the way towards clearing up the problem that we caused some time ago.” Hinrich Woebcken, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, pledged to carry out the terms “as seamlessly as possible.”

Breyer turned away objections from car owners who thought the settlement did not provide enough money, saying it “adequately and fairly compensates” them. Owners will get the pre-scandal “trade in” value of the vehicle and $5,100 to $10,000 in additional compensation.

“Given the risks of prolonged litigation, the immediate settlement of this matter is far preferable,” Breyer wrote.

Volkswagen agreed to spend up to $10.033 billion on the buybacks and owner compensation and $4.7 billion on programs to offset excess emissions and boost clean-vehicle projects.

The settlement was reached with the U.S. Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, the state of California and vehicle owners who had filed a class action lawsuit against VW. Volkswagen has admitted to misleading regulators and still faces an ongoing criminal investigation.

It represented the largest civil settlement worldwide ever reached with an automaker accused of misconduct.

While huge, the approved deal was still smaller than the $246 billion settlement reached by cigarette makers with 46 U.S. states in 1998 and the $53 billion by BP to address costs and penalties arising from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

An American flag flies next to a Volkswagen car dealership in San Diego, California, U.S. September 23, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

In total, Volkswagen has agreed to date to spend up to $16.5 billion in connection with the scandal, including payments to dealers, states and attorneys for owners. The scandal rattled VW’s global business, harmed its reputation and prompted the ouster of its CEO.

The settlement covers 2.0-liter polluting diesel Beetle, Golf, Jetta, Passat and Audi A3 cars from the 2009 through 2015 model years. Up to 490,000 people will take part in the settlement because some vehicles had multiple owners.

Volkswagen spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan said the automaker expects to begin buying back vehicles in mid-November. VW has hired 900 people, including one to be stationed at each dealership, to handle buybacks.

MORE COSTS FOR AUTOMAKER

VW still faces billions more in costs to address 85,000 polluting 3.0-liter vehicles and Justice Department fines for violating clean air laws. It also faces lawsuits from at least 16 U.S. states for additional claims that could hike the company’s overall costs.

Last month, a Volkswagen engineer pleaded guilty in Detroit to helping the company evade U.S. emission standards. His lawyer said he would cooperate with federal authorities in their criminal probe.

Kathryn Phillips, California director for the Sierra Club environmental group, said Volkswagen broke the law and that “Judge Breyer is making them pay the price. Volkswagen chose to poison our families with dangerous pollution just to pad its pocketbook.”

“Today is a landmark day, when this innovative settlement can be put into action, investing billions of dollars into public health protections to remedy these serious violations,” added Cynthia Giles, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency assistant administrator.

VW will provide $2 billion over 10 years to fund programs to promote electric vehicle charging infrastructure, development of zero-emission ride-sharing fleets and other efforts to boost sales of cars that do not burn petroleum.

Volkswagen has been in intensive talks over how much compensation it may offer owners of the larger 3.0-liter diesel Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles that emit up to nine times legally allowable emissions and whether it will offer buybacks for some of the polluting SUVs. No final agreement has been reached. Volkswagen faces a Nov. 3 court hearing to update the court on those vehicles’ status.

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Volkswagen agreed to make up to $1.21 billion in payments to 652 U.S. VW brand dealers and $600 million to 44 U.S. states to address some state claims.

Nearly 340,000 owners have registered to take part in the settlement. About 3,500 owners have opted out. Volkswagen must fix or buy back 85 percent of the 475,000 vehicles under the agreement by June 2019 or face additional costs.

Owners have until September 2018 to submit paperwork to sell back vehicles. VW will have to destroy repurchased vehicles unless it wins approval for fixes.</s>A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday approved Volkswagen AG’s record-setting $14.7-billion (U.S.) settlement with regulators and owners of 475,000 polluting diesel vehicles, and the German auto maker said it would begin buying back the vehicles in mid-November.

The action by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco marked the latest development in a scandal that has rocked VW since it admitted in September 2015 using secret software in its diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests and make them appear cleaner than they really were.

Under the settlement, Volkswagen agreed to spend up to $10.033-billion on the buybacks and owner compensation and $4.7-billion on programs to offset excess emissions and boost zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and other clean vehicle projects.

The affected vehicles emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution levels. Volkswagen may also be allowed to repair vehicles if regulators approve fixes.

In total, Volkswagen has agreed to date to spend up to $16.5-billion in connection with the diesel emissions scandal, including payments to dealers, states and attorneys for owners. The scandal rattled VW’s global business, harmed its reputation and prompted the ouster of its CEO.

The world’s second-largest auto maker still faces billions more in costs to address 85,000 polluting 3.0 litre vehicles and U.S. Justice Department fines for violating clean air laws. It also faces lawsuits from at least 16 U.S. states for additional claims that could hike the company’s overall costs.</s>It represented one of the biggest corporate settlements of any kind. The action by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco marked a pivotal moment for VW as it aims to move past a scandal that has engulfed the company since it admitted in September 2015 to installing secret software in diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests and make them appear cleaner than they really were.

Hinrich Woebcken, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America Inc, called final approval of a settlement first announced in June "an important milestone in our journey to making things right in the United States," and pledged to carry out the terms "as seamlessly as possible."

Breyer turned away objections from car owners who thought the settlement did not provide enough money, saying it "adequately and fairly compensates" them. In addition to the pre-scandal "trade in" value of the vehicle, owners will receive $5,100 to $10,000 in additional compensation.

"Given the risks of prolonged litigation, the immediate settlement of this matter is far preferable," Breyer wrote.

The settlement was reached with the U.S. Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, the state of California and vehicle owners who had filed a class action lawsuit against the world's No. 2 automaker. VW has admitted to misleading regulators and still faces an ongoing criminal investigation.

Volkswagen agreed to spend up to $10.033 billion on the buybacks and owner compensation and $4.7 billion on programs to offset excess emissions and boost clean-vehicle projects.

VW may also be allowed to repair vehicles if regulators approve fixes. The affected vehicles emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution levels.

It represented the largest civil settlement worldwide ever reached with an automaker accused of misconduct.

While huge, the approved deal was still smaller than the $246 billion settlement reached by cigarette makers with 46 U.S. states in 1998 and the $53 billion by BP to address costs and penalties arising from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

In total, Volkswagen has agreed to date to spend up to $16.5 billion in connection with the scandal, including payments to dealers, states and attorneys for owners. The scandal rattled VW's global business, harmed its reputation and prompted the ouster of its CEO.

The settlement covers 2.0-liter polluting diesel Beetle, Golf, Jetta, Passat and Audi A3 cars from the 2009 through 2015 model years. Up to 490,000 people will take part in the settlement because some vehicles had multiple owners.

Volkswagen spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan said the automaker expects to begin buying back vehicles in mid-November. VW has hired 900 people, including one to be stationed at each dealership, to handle buybacks.

VW still faces billions more in costs to address 85,000 polluting 3.0 liter vehicles and Justice Department fines for violating clean air laws. It also faces lawsuits from at least 16 U.S. states for additional claims that could hike the company's overall costs.

Last month, a Volkswagen engineer pleaded guilty to helping the company evade U.S. emission standards. His lawyer said he would cooperate with federal authorities in their criminal probe.

In 2013, a non-profit group commissioned researchers at West Virginia University to test diesel car emissions, and found excess emissions in two VW diesels. After the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California spent more than a year trying to understand the cause, VW admitted last year it secretly installed software to turn off emissions equipment in real-world driving.

"Today is a landmark day, when this innovative settlement can be put into action, investing billions of dollars into public health protections to remedy these serious violations," Cynthia Giles, the EPA's assistant administrator, said.

VW will provide $2 billion over 10 years to fund programs to promote construction of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, development of zero-emission ride-sharing fleets and other efforts to boost sales of cars that do not burn petroleum.

Volkswagen has been in intensive talks over how much compensation it may offer owners of the larger 3.0 liter diesel Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles that emit up to nine times legally allowable emissions and whether it will offer buybacks for some of the polluting SUVs but no final agreement has been reached. Volkswagen faces a Nov. 3 court hearing to update the court on those vehicles' status.

Volkswagen agreed to make up to $1.21 billion in payments to 652 U.S. VW brand dealers and $600 million to 44 U.S. states to address some state claims.

Nearly 340,000 owners have registered to take part in the settlement. About 3,500 owners have opted out. Volkswagen must fix or buy back 85 percent of the 475,000 vehicles under the agreement by June 2019 or face additional costs.</s>The action by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco marked the latest development in a scandal that has rocked VW since it admitted in September 2015 using secret software in its diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests and make them appear cleaner than they really were.

Under the settlement, Volkswagen agreed to spend up to $10.033 billion on the buybacks and owner compensation and $4.7 billion on programs to offset excess emissions and boost zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and other clean vehicle projects.

The affected vehicles emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution levels. Volkswagen may also be allowed to repair vehicles if regulators approve fixes.

In total, Volkswagen has agreed to date to spend up to $16.5 billion in connection with the diesel emissions scandal, including payments to dealers, states and attorneys for owners. The scandal rattled VW's global business, harmed its reputation and prompted the ouster of its CEO.

The world's second-largest automaker still faces billions more in costs to address 85,000 polluting 3.0 liter vehicles and U.S. Justice Department fines for violating clean air laws. It also faces lawsuits from at least 16 U.S. states for additional claims that could hike the company's overall costs.</s>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge in San Francisco has approved a $15 billion court settlement of most claims against Volkswagen for its emissions-cheating scandal.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer signed the order today approving the largest auto-scandal settlement in the nation’s history.

About 475,000 owners of VWs and Audis with 2-liter four-cylinder diesel engines now will be able to seek buybacks of their vehicles starting next Tuesday.

Most of the owners are expected to sell their cars back to VW after the company acknowledged cheating on emissions testing and putting dirty cars on the road. In addition to having their cars bought back, owners can each get payments of $5,100 to $10,000.</s>SAN FRANCISCO: A US judge on Tuesday granted final approval for a $14.7 billion class action settlement in Volkswagen’s diesel emissions cheating scandal, the largest such automaker settlement in history.

The buyback deal at the same time also resolved some claims brought by US and California environmental regulators who had sought penalties for Volkswagen’s violations of pollution laws.

“Final approval of the 2.0 liter TDI settlement is an important milestone in our journey to making things right in the United States and we appreciate the efforts of all parties involved in this process,” Hinrich Woebcken, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, said in a statement.

The settlement offers compensation to nearly a half-million owners of polluting Volkswagen and Audi diesel-powered vehicles in the US which the German automaker has admitted configuring to deceive emissions tests. This allowed some cars to emit almost 40 times the permissible levels of harmful nitrogen oxides.

Owners of 2.0 liter diesel-powered cars will be eligible for buybacks, penalty-free lease terminations or free modifications to fix the vehicles’ emissions. All participants will also receive cash payments.

In addition to $10 billion for compensation to owners, Volkswagen will create a $2.7 billion fund for environmental remediation, and provide $2 billion to promote the use of “zero emissions” vehicles within the United States.

“The settlement adequately and fairly compensates class members,” US District Judge Charles Breyer wrote in an opinion approving the deal.

“While plaintiffs might ultimately prevail on their claims, the settlement provides benefits much sooner than if litigation were to continue. Moreover, litigation would cause additional environmental damage that the settlement otherwise reduces.”

Breyer had granted preliminary approval for the settlement in July, praising the “enormous efforts” by all sides to reach an agreement and avoid a trial.

Volkswagen’s parallel agreement with US authorities will require it to modify or remove 85 percent of the vehicles from the roads by June 2019 or face steep additional penalties.

California will receive about $1.2 billion to mitigate environmental damage caused by the pollution, of which $381 million will fund projects to reduce smog, such as creating incentives for cleaner heavy-duty vehicles, according to the California Air Resources Board.

“Today is a landmark day, when this innovative settlement can be put into action, investing billions of dollars into public health protections to remedy these serious violations,” Cynthia Giles, head of enforcement at the US Environmental Protection Agency, said in a statement.

Breyer’s rulings were a major step in the German automaker’s efforts to move past the scandal and revive sagging sales after admitting to the deceptive practices in the production of some 11 million vehicles worldwide.

But the costs of the scandal have been considerable. Volkswagen reported a 1.6 billion euro ($1.74 billion) net loss for 2015, its first in more than two decades. The company has booked 18 billion euros to cover repairs, buy-backs and legal costs for the scandal, but commentators have said the final amount could be much higher.

The company is in talks with US federal prosecutors to settle criminal allegations related to the emissions cheating. Prosecutors last month indicted James Liang, a Volkswagen engineer, who has pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate as the United States builds its case.

Volkswagen also still needs to conclude a separate settlement in the United States concerning about 80,000 Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche cars with 3.0 liter engines equipped with the emissions cheat devices.

The company has been far less generous in Europe, pledging to bring affected cars there into compliance by next year. The company also faces billions of dollars in damage claims from investors. AFP</s>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge approved the largest auto-scandal settlement in U.S. history Tuesday, giving nearly a half-million Volkswagen owners and leaseholders the choice between selling their cars back or having them repaired so they don’t cheat on emissions tests and spew excess pollution.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said the nearly $15 billion deal “adequately and fairly” compensates consumers and gets the polluting vehicles off the road as soon as possible.

The German automaker acknowledged last year that about 475,000 Volkswagens and Audis with 2-liter, four-cylinder diesel engines were programmed to cheat on emissions tests.

Under the agreement, owners can choose to have Volkswagen buy back their vehicle regardless of its condition for the full trade-in price on Sept. 18, 2015, when the scandal broke, or pay for repairs. Either way, Volkswagen also will pay owners $5,100 to $10,000, depending on the age of the car and whether the owner had it prior to Sept. 18 of last year.

Volkswagen has agreed to spend up to $10 billion compensating consumers and could start buying back the cars as early as next month. Regulators have not approved any fixes.

The settlement also includes $2.7 billion for unspecified environmental mitigation and $2 billion to promote zero-emissions vehicles.

“We’re going to sell it back as soon as humanly possible and try to put this behind us,” said Joe Azam, a 35-year-old attorney in New York who owns a 2014 Jetta wagon.

Still, Azam said he thought Volkswagen “got off easy” in how much it was paying vehicle owners.

Blair Stewart, a 2012 Jetta wagon owner in Palo Alto, California, said Volkswagen should have paid owners the full purchase price of their vehicle, given the company’s fraud.

“This is not enough to deter the kind of behavior they did,” he said.

Breyer concluded that affected car owners were not entitled to a full refund because many had “received a great deal of use out of their vehicles.” He also raised the specter of bankruptcy for Volkswagen if it had to pay the full purchase price.

The scandal has damaged Volkswagen’s reputation and hurt its sales. The company is still facing potentially billions more in fines and penalties and possible criminal charges. It also will pay up to $332.5 million in attorney fees and costs and up to $1.2 billion to its U.S. dealers.

The settlement’s approval “is an important milestone in our journey to making things right in the United States,” Hinrich J. Woebcken, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America Inc. said in a statement. “Volkswagen is committed to ensuring that the program is now carried out as seamlessly as possible for our affected customers and has devoted significant resources and personnel to making their experience a positive one.”

The lead attorney for car owners, Elizabeth Cabraser, said in a statement that the deal “holds Volkswagen accountable for its illegal behavior and breach of consumer trust.” More than 330,000 people have signed up for settlement benefits, with about 3,200 opting out, she told the judge last week.

Peggy Schaeffer, a North Carolina librarian with a diesel 2010 Jetta wagon, said she was pleased with the settlement terms and has submitted her buyback paperwork. She expects to get close to $15,000 for a car she bought for $16,000 in 2010.

“It’s hard to be grumpy about that,” she said.

The company said in April that it has set aside $18.2 billion to cover the cost of the global scandal, which erupted last year when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Volkswagen had fitted many of its cars with software to fool emissions tests. Car owners and the U.S. Department of Justice sued.

The software recognized when the cars were being tested on a treadmill and turned on pollution controls. The controls were turned off when the cars returned to the road. The EPA alleged the scheme let the cars spew up to 40 times the allowable limit of nitrogen oxide, which can cause respiratory problems in humans.

Through September, VW Group’s sales in the U.S. are down nearly 7 percent from 2015 figures, to just under 386,000 vehicles. The Volkswagen brand fared worse, with sales down 12.5 percent, to just over 231,000 vehicles, according to Autodata Corp. The VW Group includes the Audi, VW, Bentley and Lamborghini brands.

The settlement releases legal claims from most of the 2-liter engine owners, but it doesn’t affect larger 3-liter, six-cylinder diesels, which also cheated on tests. It also doesn’t end claims against parts supplier Robert Bosch, which drew up the cheating software.

FILE - In this Sept. 22, 2015, file photo, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions is written on a Volkswagen Passat Diesel at the Frankfurt Car Show in Frankfurt, Germany. A federal judge in San Francisco is facing a deadline on whether to approve a nearly $15 billion deal over Volkswagen's emissions cheating scandal that gives most affected car owners the option of having the company buy back their vehicles. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said at a hearing last week that he was strongly inclined to give the deal final approval and would issue a ruling by Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File) FILE - In this Sept. 22, 2015, file photo, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions is written on a Volkswagen Passat Diesel at the Frankfurt Car Show in Frankfurt, Germany. A federal judge in San Francisco is facing a deadline on whether to approve a nearly $15 billion deal over Volkswagen's emissions cheating scandal that gives most affected car owners the option of having the company buy back their vehicles. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said at a hearing last week that he was strongly inclined to give the deal final approval and would issue a ruling by Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File) FILE - In this July 19, 2016, file photo, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announces a lawsuit against Volkswagen in New York. A federal judge in San Francisco is facing a deadline on whether to approve a nearly $15 billion deal over Volkswagen's emissions cheating scandal that gives most affected car owners the option of having the company buy back their vehicles. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said at a hearing last week that he was strongly inclined to give the deal final approval and would issue a ruling by Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) FILE - In this July 19, 2016, file photo, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announces a lawsuit against Volkswagen in New York. A federal judge in San Francisco is facing a deadline on whether to approve a nearly $15 billion deal over Volkswagen's emissions cheating scandal that gives most affected car owners the option of having the company buy back their vehicles. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said at a hearing last week that he was strongly inclined to give the deal final approval and would issue a ruling by Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) In this Oct. 13, 2015, file photo, a Volkswagen Touareg diesel is tested in the Environmental Protection Agency’s cold temperature test facility in Ann Arbor, Mich. In this Oct. 13, 2015, file photo, a Volkswagen Touareg diesel is tested in the Environmental Protection Agency’s cold temperature test facility in Ann Arbor, Mich.</s>SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge in San Francisco has approved a $15 billion court settlement of most claims against Volkswagen for its emissions-cheating scandal.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer signed the order Tuesday approving the largest auto-scandal settlement in the nation's history.

About 475,000 owners of VWs and Audis with 2-liter four-cylinder diesel engines now will be able to seek buybacks of their vehicles starting next Tuesday.

Most of the owners are expected to sell their cars back to VW after the company acknowledged cheating on emissions testing and putting dirty cars on the road. In addition to having their cars bought back, owners can each get cash payments of $5,100 to $10,000.

"The settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate," Breyer wrote in his order, posted Tuesday morning by the court.

VW will pay attorney fees and costs, including up to $324 million in fees and $8.5 million in out-of-pocket costs.

The settlement releases legal claims from most of the 2-liter VW owners, but it doesn't affect larger 3-liter six-cylinder diesels, which also cheated on tests. The settlement also doesn't end any claims against parts supplier Robert Bosch, which drew up the cheating software.

The order says that 336,612 owners of 2-liter diesels have registered for the settlement and 3,298 have opted out.</s>U.S. federal judge approved Volkswagen's record-setting $14.7-billion settlement with regulators and owners of 475,000 polluting diesel vehicles. Jeanne Yurman reports.</s>DETROIT (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday approved a settlement between Volkswagen AG and about 475,000 owners of diesel cars that don’t meet U.S. emissions standards.

Volkswagen admitted last year that the cars were programmed to cheat on emissions tests. The German automaker will spend up to $10 billion to either buy the cars back or fix them and compensate owners.

Here are answers to questions about the deal, which is the largest class-action settlement in the history of the American auto industry:

A: The deal covers 475,000 VW models with 2-liter diesel engines dating to 2009. U.S. models include the 2009-2015 Jetta and Audi A3, the 2010-2015 Golf, and the 2012-2015 Beetle and Passat.

Most owners are expected to take the settlement. As of Sept. 16, which was the deadline opt out of the settlement, 3,298 owners said they wouldn’t participate. Those who don’t accept the settlement could sue VW, but it’s not guaranteed they would get better terms.

Another 90,000 cars with 3-liter diesel engines also have cheating software, but they aren’t part of this settlement.

A: Owners have a choice. VW will buy back your car — regardless of its condition — at the National Automobile Dealers Association clean trade-in price before the cheating was made public on Sept. 18, 2015. Or the company will fix your car. The fix has not been determined and still must be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board.

In either case, VW will pay you $5,100 to $10,000 for your trouble, depending on the age of the car and whether you owned it on or before Sept. 18, 2015. VW also will buy out your lease if your vehicle was leased through Volkswagen Credit.

Once owners register, VW has 10 days to accept their claim or send it back for changes. Once it’s accepted, the company has 10 days to make a buyback offer. Once an owner accepts that offer, the company has 90 days — or 45 days, for leased vehicles — to take the car back and give the owner a check.

VW says it will start making buyback offers in mid-November. Owners have until Sept. 1, 2018, to make a decision.

Q: WHEN WILL THE FIXES BE APPROVED?

A: Volkswagen has submitted a proposed software fix for 2015-model year 2-liter diesels, or around 15 percent of the 2-liters on U.S. roads. The Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board are reviewing that fix now. A proposed fix for most of the other 2-liter diesels is due Nov. 11; a fix for the 2012-2014 Passats is due Dec. 16. The fixes for the 2009-2014 models will likely involve changes in the cars’ hardware.

Q: HOW MUCH ARE THESE CARS WORTH?

A: Owners will get a total of $12,500 to $44,000 — including the cash payment — depending on the model, age, mileage and options on their car.

Q: IF I BUY AN AFFECTED VW DIESEL TODAY, WILL I BE ELIGIBLE FOR COMPENSATION?

A: Yes. The eligibility for the compensation transfers to the new owner. Former owners who sold their VW diesels between Sept. 15, 2015, and June 28, 2016 — the date the Volkswagen and plaintiffs announced the proposed settlement — are also eligible for some compensation.

Q: SHOULD I TAKE THE BUYBACK OR THE FIX?

A: From a financial standpoint, it’s better to wait. You have until Sept. 1, 2018, to seek a buyback, so you can drive the car for almost two years with no financial penalty unless you drive more than 12,500 miles per year. Also, the fixes are not ready, so it’s unclear how much they will change the cars’ mileage and performance. But if you keep driving, you’ll continue to pollute the air.

Q: CAN I JUST KEEP MY CAR WITHOUT GETTING IT FIXED?

A: You could, but eventually you would violate the Clean Air Act by spewing too much nitrogen oxide. And if you live in a state that has a pollution test, you run the risk of being caught.

Q: I’LL TAKE THE MONEY AND BUY A NEW CAR. ARE THERE OTHER CARS THAT PERFORM LIKE A VW DIESEL?

A: Your choices are limited because VW had a lock on lower-cost diesels in the U.S. A diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze sedan will go on sale early next year; a diesel Cruze hatchback will follow in 2018. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but the gas version of the Cruze starts at $16,975. A pricier diesel option is the BMW 328d, which starts at $40,250.

Mileage of gasoline-powered cars has improved in the past few years, and it’s comparable to what diesels used to get. Tom Backer, general manager of a VW dealer in White Plains, New York, says he’ll try to sell returning owners on a turbocharged, gas-powered VW Jetta that gets 38 to 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

A: Volkswagen can’t sell its 2016 diesels because there isn’t an approved repair ready yet. They could go back on the market when fixed, but you run the risk of reduced performance depending on the repairs.

A: VW plans to offer specials for returning owners after the buybacks begin. Dealers could kick in even more. Backer plans to offer $1,000 on top of any offers from Volkswagen.

Q: WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?

A: The official settlement web site is https://www.vwcourtsettlement.com .
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer in San Francisco approves German automaker Volkswagen $14.7 billion settlement with federal and California regulators and the owners of the 475,000 polluting diesel vehicles over diesel emissions cheating scandal. Volkswagen still faces billions of dollars more in fines and litigation.