Volkswagen's line "Clean Diesel" is used to sell its diesel-ran cars in the United States market. It is promising and attracting many people to buy the cars.

According to Mashable, the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, which is the first model year for the new four-cylinder diesel in the U.S., is rather a miraculous car. It has satisfied the emissions laws of all 50 states without resorting to urea injection and it is powerful with 140 horsepower and quick enough with 0 to 60 miles per hour in 8.1 seconds.

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However, the real draw of the diesel Jetta has always been its fuel economy. It only consumed diesel at a rate of 38 mile per British gallon (mpg) for over 39,678 mile test. The number has been twice better than C/D long termers compared to a 2000 Honda Insight that returned after 40,000 miles that consumed 48 mpg and a 1992 Honda Civic VX consumed 41 mpg after testing it for over 35,000 miles.

Volkswagen seemed to have greatly solved the issues of diesels of being dirty and slow without costly and complex urea injection system. However, it turned out that Volkswagen lied to the car buyers, which is not easily forgivable.

The seemingly without fault and miraculous cars used a piece of software called a "defeat device" that detects when the car is undergoing emissions testing and, therefore, turns on full emissions control systems. And yet on the road, the systems would then switch off that gives the four-cylinder TDI their characteristically great acceleration as well as fuel economy.

The high fuel efficiency and cleanliness that these cars became alternative to hybrids like the ever popular Toyota Prius are the main reasons that many car owners bought the Jetta TDI.

These very reasons have made James Spencer, an Office Coordinator at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, in the office of the U.S. Science Support Program, bought this car as he is an environmentalist. However, he learned about the situation of the car's performance that it made him question himself why he bought it.

Another owner in New England who bought a 2010 Jetta TDI also fell into the similar situation as Spencer, saying he would have gotten himself a Prius. He added that he is also doing his thing for the environment but it turns out that Volkswagen's car was a sham.

In line with this, according to Techno Stream, the company risked its reputation and public trust as well as $18 billion worth of penalties, and the German automaker admitted this week that 11 million of its diesel cars, which are sold globally, are built with the software that skirts emissions regulations.

After being duped, many car owners are not ready to forgive Volkswagen.

Tagsvolkswagen, Jetta TDI, fuel efficient, defeat device, clean diesel