In the diesel scandal, the pressure on Daimler increases: Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer ordered the recall of nearly 240,000 cars in Germany. There are even three times as many across Europe.
Daimler Transporter Vito (Stock Image)
Monday, 11.06.2018
18:38 clock
Because of inadmissible defeat devices has Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU) an official recall of Germany 238,000 DaimlerVehicles arranged. Across Europe, even 774,000 vehicles were affected, the ministry said on Monday – in addition to the already recalled van Vito also C-Class models and the off-road vehicle GLC. Previously, Scheuer had in Berlin with Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche met.
According to the Minister of Transport, Daimler has stated that with “maximum processing speed and in cooperative transparency with the authorities, the applications complained of by the federal government in the engine control are eliminated”. Scheuter had already summoned Zetsche to an emergency meeting at the end of May after the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) ordered a recall of about 4,900 copies of the Vito.
Daimler wants to implement the recall ordered by Scheuer initially, but at the same time act against it legally. “Open legal issues are still clarified in opposition proceedings,” the group said after the meeting. From the point of view of the authorities, Daimler has used inadmissible shutdown devices for exhaust gas purification in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The carmaker sees things differently and has therefore already announced against the recall notice for the Vito contradiction.
Daimler does not have to pay a fine for the recalled cars. When asked if a previously threatened by scouring order money of 5000 € per vehicle from the table, Zetsche replied after the conversation: “Yes.”
According to SPIEGEL information, Daimler now offered the Ministry the recall of certain models before the recent meeting, demanded in return but a kind of amnesty: One wanted to accept the callbacks with the Vito and the other registered models obviously only if the KBA in return waives further tests.
The Daimler share price 
came after the announcement of the new recall after-hours under pressure. The securities, which had already yielded more than 1 percent in regular trading, recently lost a further 1.6 percent in Frankfurt trading compared with the Xetra closing price.
The workforce wants answers
Among the Daimler employees, the diesel allegations are increasingly causing concern. “Their biggest concern is that around the subject of exhaust even more could come on the table than previously known,” said the works council chairman of the engine plant in Untertürkheim, Wolfgang Nieke, the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” and the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” according to a pre-announcement , Zetsche had initially said that at Daimler will not be cheated – that would have left the employees. At scheduled company meetings around June 20, workers wanted to hear replies.
“It can not be that one car company after another with years of delay and only after detective work is unmasked,” said the head of the Federal Consumer Association, Klaus Müller. “This salami tactic costs more and more consumer confidence and leads to a significant loss of value for the injured car owners.” Scouring must “put on the thumbscrews”. Daimler should give guarantees that the conversions are meaningful and cause no damage.