"U.S. Judge Approves $14.7 Billion Deal in VW Diesel Scandal"

"WASHINGTON — A U.S. judge on Tuesday approved one of the biggest corporate settlements on record, Volkswagen AG's $14.7 billion deal arising from its diesel emissions cheating scandal, and the German automaker said it would begin buying back polluting cars in mid-November.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco signed off on VW's settlement with federal and California regulators and the owners of the 475,000 polluting diesel vehicles in a pivotal moment for the world's No. 2 automaker as it tries to move past a scandal that has engulfed it for more than a year.

VW admitted in September 2015 to installing secret software in its diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests and make them appear cleaner in testing than they really were. In reality, the vehicles emitted up to 40 times the legally allowable pollution levels."

David Shepardson reports for Reuters October 25, 2016.