Petaluma doctor victim of VW emissions scandal

Like many environmentally-conscious consumers, Ken Lehrman thought he was doing the right thing when he bought a new “clean diesel” Volkswagen Passat in 2012. The Petaluma cardiologist paid a premium - $4,000 more than a standard Passat - for what he thought was the car’s cleaner burning diesel engine.

Four years later, Lehrman said he feels cheated and is looking to get rid of the sedan after revelations came to light in September that Volkswagen rigged emissions tests in order to make their cars seem more eco-friendly, triggering one of the largest air quality investigations in the auto industry’s history, one that would have a wide-reaching negative impact on the German car maker.

Lehrman, who has been frustrated by the process, is still dealing with Volkswagen to find a resolution, even as he drives his Passat each day to his Southpoint Boulevard medical office. The Petaluma man is one of more than 11 million Volkswagen owners worldwide affected by the massive recall.

“What a mess,” said Lehrman, 69. “I bought the car for the environmental benefits. I was more than a little upset.”

Lehrman said he paid $36,000 for the diesel Passat from Steven’s Creek Volkswagen in San Jose. It was his second Volkswagen, having previously purchased a standard Passat, which he said was a great car.

But as cleaner cars started becoming more popular, especially in left-leaning Northern California, Lehrman said his environmental consciousness caused him to think about alternative vehicles. He looked at plug-in electric cars and hybrids, but settled on the diesel Passat, which was advertised as emitting 40 times fewer emissions.

“I bought it for a specific reason,” he said. “I wanted to do something for the environment.”

U.S. regulators in September found that Volkswagen had fixed the emissions controls on its cars so that they only worked during testing but emitted 40 times more nitrogen oxide during real-world driving. The company was said to be in violation of the Clean Air Act, a huge blow to Volkswagen’s credibility.

Lehrman said he has spent the past nine months dealing with Volkswagen officials. He said their first offer was a $500 equipment credit, which he did not accept. Eventually, Volkswagen agreed to buy back the diesel cars for the Blue Book value and give owners a $5,000 payment.

“I want to give back the car and get it off the road,” he said. “I’ve been dissapointed in Volkswagen. But I still love the car.”

Though he has heard about the buyback deal through the media, he has not received any notice from Volkswagen, but he hopes to be rid of the vehicle by the end of the year. He said he is considering buying a hybrid as his next car.

The experience dealing with Volkswagen has taught him a valuable lesson about large corporations, he said.

“It’s really something,” he said. “I learned that corporations are greedy - surprise. I also learned that regulators are sometimes important.”

(Contact Matt Brown at matt.brown@arguscourier.com.)