Volkswagen AG announced in a press release that it will be recalling approximately 8.5 million vehicles in Europe in relation to the rigged diesel emission testing.
The automaker announced the recall following the order of The Federal Motor Transport Authority or KBA to recall 2.4 million vehicles in Germany.
Volkswagen said in the press release that they welcome the swift decision of the KBA in issuing a recall so that a timetable and plan of measures can be implemented.
This gives customers clarity with regards to the continued unrestricted use of vehicles.
The New York Times adds that Volkswagen had been indicating for weeks that it plans to fix the cars that it has admitted to deliberately equipping with software to cheat on emission testing.
The KBA, though, rejected the automakers proposal and ordered the recall, saying that Volkswagen's plans are insufficient.
The New York Times also reported that Volkswagen still didn't say how they plan to fix the affected vehicles, but German authorities have already set a deadline.
Authorities have set until the end of next month for Volkswagen to identify the technical details of the remedy.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed Volkswagen's deception in September and plans to order a recall, according to the New York Times.
The EPA, though, has not yet done so.
Laura Allen, a spokeswoman from EPA, told the New York Times in an email that the agency is confirming first Volkswagen's proposed fix.
"E.P.A. will order a recall once the agency has done testing to confirm that Volkswagen's proposed fix will be effective,'' she said. "E.P.A. will conduct our own testing to confirm this. Then we will order a recall."
Volkswagen said in the press release that they will be contacting customers in Europe and inform them directly about the recall.
German customers can also visit the German website, which was set up on October 2, 2015, and enter the chassis number of their vehicle to see if they are affected by the recall.
Volkswagen adds that similar websites in other countries are also active, as well as websites for the Audi, SEAT, and Skoda brands.
