Volkswagen emissions scandal: Everything you need to know about what’s happened so far, how to find out if your car will be recalled and which models have been affected
It's been a tumultuous few weeks for Volkswagen. The emissions cheating scandal which broke in September has wiped billions off the car manufacturer's share price – but the hangover could last much longer.
After it first emerged in the US in mid-September that VW had cheated on emissions tests, national governments across continents have launched investigations into the company and the auto industry in general.
Read more: Will Volkswagen's costly mistake put more alternative vehicles on London's roads?
With such a lot going on with the company, here's everything you need to know.
What's actually happened?
Glad you asked: Here's everything that's happened so far.
How to find out if your car's affected
The car maker has set up a dedicated website to allow customers to check if their car was rigged with its emissions cheating device.
Customers need enter their vehicle identification number (VIN), and the website will tell consumers if their car was affected. The same process has been set up for Audi, Seat and Skoda.
The easiest way to view it is to stand outside the vehicle on the driver's side and look at the corner of the dashboard where it meets the windshield. If the VIN cannot be found there, open the driver's side door and look at the door post (where the door latches when it is closed).
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VW has said more than 508,000 of its passenger cars sold in the UK carried the device; nearly 400,000 Audi vehicles, 132,000 Skodas and 77,000 Seats are also affected. A further 80,000 commercial vehicles are also on the list.
Which models have been affected?
The “culprit” engine is the EA 189, used in over 11m diesel cars. These are found in 1.6 and 2.0 litre cars across the VW group product range.
Popular models include the Mk6 Gold, Mk7 Passat and first generation Tiguan.
The EU5 compliant engines in Audi and Skoda cars are also likely to be affected.
For Audi, the affected models include (hold your breath): The A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, TT, Q3 and Q5.