Renault to recall 15,000 vehicles over faults in emission tests

Renault will be recalling over 15,000 vehicles in Europe over emission related faults in diesel engines.

Ever since Volkswagen’s diesel emission scandal hit the headlines, other auto manufacturers are being constantly suspected, or in some cases, blatantly accused of running a similar “defeat device” so as to clear pollution tests. In recent times, diesel cars from different manufacturers in different parts of the world are being scrutinized by lawmakers to check if they meet set emission norms.

As part of this new exercise, French government recently tested 100 different cars sold in France for emission tests. The study concluded four Renault vehicles to have significantly higher CO2 and NOx levels than the accepted limits. The authorities, however, have confirmed that they couldn’t identify any “cheat” device - like the one installed on Volkswagen vehicles, confirming there’s no fraud on Renault’s part as such.

In the wake of aforementioned developments, Renault has issued a recall of over 15,000 vehicles that come fitted with the company’s dCi 110 engine in European markets. Renault insists that there’s no fraudulent software or system installed in the affected vehicles, and the recall is to address an error in the engine’s calibration unit. The French automaker further explained that the issue was already known and was corrected on production vehicles from September 4, 2015.

Apart from Renault, Ford and Mercedes-Benz have also come under the scanner over possible emission related discrepancies in their vehicles sold in France. Interestingly, the French authorities are testing these vehicles based on the emissions produced in real-world conditions. On-road testing is not part of normal EU evaluations as the results can differ greatly depending on varying conditions.

Also read: Volkswagen to not buy back cars in India: Diesel Gate