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Volkswagen apologizes for emissions scandal with full-page ad in dozens of papers

Volkswagen apologizes for emissions scandal with full-page ad in dozens of papers

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Volkswagen is apologizing. The company's American arm rolled out its first ad campaign today addressing the emissions scandals that have rocked the company over the past couple of months. The understated full-page ad, published in over 30 newspapers across the US today, says in large type: "We're working to make things right."

It continues, "Over the past several weeks, we've apologized to you, our loyal customers, about the 2.0L VW emissions issue. As we work tirelessly to develop a remedy, we ask for your continued patience." Volkswagen has yet to develop a solution for fixing the emissions on vehicles that utilized a defeat device to fool regulators into recording low emissions values on certain diesel vehicles.

"We sincerely hope you see this as a first step toward restoring your invaluable trust."

Beyond serving as a much-needed apology to its customers — who woke up after the scandal to find the resale value on their cars had depreciated — the ad also promotes the company's "goodwill package" announced this past week. The German carmaker is offering $500 in the form of a Visa gift card to owners of models effected by the scandal. It's also tossing in a $500 gift card toward the purchase of a new Volkswagen, and three years of no-cost roadside assistance.

If that doesn't quite seem like enough to make up for Volkswagen's major failures that led up to the scandal, the company says in the public letter that "we sincerely hope you see this as a first step toward restoring your invaluable trust."

VW newspaper ad