Australian VW owners still in dark about emissions scandal and seeking answers

Australian Volkswagen owners are still unsure if their cars are affected by the emissions scandal plaguing the German car manufacturer.

Australia's Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said on Thursday it was investigating the scandal which has prompted a 32- percent drop in the company's share price - while Volkswagen Australia's head office said it was seeking answers from the group 's headquarters in Germany.

The ACCC said it was examining whether Australian consumers have had their rights breached under Australian Consumer Law.

"The ACCC is making inquiries to determine if consumers might have been exposed to misleading claims. The ACCC is also considering the rights of consumers under the Australian Consumer Law," a spokesperson from the ACCC told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Volkswagen Group has admitted that as many as 11 million of its diesel cars, including popular models the VW Golf, Jetta and Audi A3, could be affected by the scandal, in which Volkswagen deliberately fitted software which would mislead emissions testers, allowing the cars to falsely pass the environmental tests.

On Tuesday, Volkswagen Australia said it was "seeking clarification" from Germany as to whether Australian models were affected by the re-call, which is expected to cost the company more than 12 billion U.S. dollars.

"We are still seeking clarification on this topic from our head office in Germany and we will be providing further information once we have more details," a statement said.

The car manufacturer has since been unable to provide car owners with answers.

The scandal, which has spread worldwide this week, escalated late on Wednesday when the company's chief executive Martin Winterkorn announced his resignation. Endi