SEAT admits 700,000 vehicles with "pollution cheating software"

German car manufacturer Volkswagon has halted the sale of 3,320 cars in Spain which may have engines containing the software to allow them to fool tests on emissions, while its Spanish subsidiary SEAT admits that it too has a major problem with cars containing motors with test cheating software.

SEAT admitted on Tuesday that 700,000 of its cars contain the software, and confirmed that the vehicles were "distributed by SEAT's global network."

The company said it was trying to determine how many had been sold in Spain with a view to carrying out tests, and that it would be setting up a search facility on its website to allow owners to know if their vehicle is one of those effected.

It has also suspended the sale and delivery of cars which contain the EA 189 engine which uses the software, with the suspension remaining in place until the vehicles have been shown to comply with current EU legislation.

Last week saw the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism launch an investigation into the possible sale of affected vehicles on the Spanish market.

The scandal broke when U.S. officials accused Volkswagon of cheating with software which could turn on pollution controls when tests were being carried out and then turn it off when the car was in normal use.

The German company admitted the problem affected 11 million cars around the world. Endit