Volkswagen reaches deal on final cars in emissions scandal

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Volkswagen reached a deal with U.S. regulators and attorneys for car owners for the remaining 80,000 diesel vehicles caught in the company's emissions cheating scandal, a federal judge announced today.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco said the settlement for the 3-liter diesel cars will include the option of a buyback for at least 20,000 vehicles and will give all owners substantial compensation on top of any repairs or a buyback.

Breyer did not disclose any numbers and said the parties still have more work to do. It comes after a series of delays this week to give the sides more time to negotiate.

Volkswagen previously reached a deal for the other 475,000 polluting vehicles in the scandal. That deal gives owners of those 2-liter diesel cars the option to have the German automaker buy back their vehicle regardless of its condition for the full trade-in price on Sept. 18, 2015, when the scandal broke, or pay for repairs.

Volkswagen also will pay the 2-liter diesel owners $5,100 to $10,000 each, depending on the age of the car and whether the owner had it before Sept. 18 of last year.

The company has agreed to spend up to $10 billion compensating those consumers. That settlement also includes $2.7 billion for unspecified environmental mitigation and $2 billion to promote zero-emissions vehicles.