TO FIX YOUR VW, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO RUIN IT: VW Owners Aren’t Going to Like the Fixes for Their Diesels. “So if the government is making VW recall your car and your fuel economy and performance will take a hit because of it, why not just ignore the recall notice in your mailbox? People ignore recalls all the time, even when they’re to fix critical safety issues. A 2011 GAO report found just 65 percent of recalled cars are repaired. The man can’t compel you to get it fixed. Except here, maybe he can. These Volkswagens are a public health threat and exuberantly break federal law. It’s not crazy to think state agencies or NHTSA would flag them, and refuse to issue a new registration, or let them pass a smog test, unless proof of a fix is offered.”

I have a friend in Knoxville who has one, and he has no plans to do the recall. Luckily, we don’t have smog testing here.