CarGurus Survey Uncovers Uncertainty and Communication Frustrations Among Volkswagen Diesel Owners

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 1, 2016 -- CarGurus, the fastest-growing car shopping website in the U.S., conducted a survey among Volkswagen TDI owners to gather their opinions around the recently announced "Dieselgate" scandal settlement. While the buyback is historic for the automotive industry, not all affected owners agree it went far enough.

According to the CarGurus' survey:

• 57% are not satisfied with the way VW has communicated settlement options to them.
• Only 18% feel the VW offer is generous, compared to 26% that believe it was not fair. 55% reported they feel it is fair.
• 52% believe the company is taking appropriate measures to rectify the situation.

Consumers are split on how to respond to the settlement and whether they'll remain Volkswagen customers:

• 47% of owners are undecided about selling back their car or getting it fixed, while only 14% plan on keeping their current VW and 39% will sell it back.
• 34% of respondents don't know yet if they will buy another VW and 21% said they would not, leaving a surprisingly high 45% who would buy another VW despite the scandal.

"The Volkswagen situation has introduced challenges on a new level for both VW and car owners who have been loyal to the brand," said Sarah Welch, SVP Consumer Marketing at CarGurus. "Our survey shows that owners are still processing the information they've received, and VW has a lot of work to do to remain in their good graces."

CarGurus analyzed survey responses from more than 150 Volkswagen TDI car owners.