The German automaker revealed the settlement late Friday in a federal court filing, reflecting an average payout of $1.85 million. Many dealers suffered steep losses over the last year as VW’s U.S. sales slumped in the wake of the scandal.
The deal would resolve one of the episode’s lingering questions: whether franchised dealers would be compensated after the manufacturer admitted to rigging nearly 600,000 U.S. diesel vehicles with illegal software to cheat emissions standards.
The accord, which must still be approved by a judge in San Francisco, is separate from a sweeping settlement between VW, the U.S. government, California regulators and consumers that will cost the company up to $14.7 billion.
Attorneys representing consumers said Friday that less than 1% of the consumers included in the settlement had opted out before a September deadline. Owners of the affected cars will get buybacks or a payment and a free repair. If VW can’t come up with a fix, vehicle owners will be given a second chance to opt out.
