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Volkswagen diesel scandal: 10 key dates

The fallout stemming from Volkswagen admitting cheating on diesel emissions tests became global news just a few short months ago, but the scandal has roots dating back several years. Read on for a timeline of what happened. 

7. Sept. 23, 2015

Michael Sohn/AP/File
Volkswagen ornaments sit in a box in a scrap yard in Berlin, Germany (Sept. 23, 2015). Germany's motor transport agency is ordering a mandatory recall of Volkswagen cars sold with software that enabled them to evade diesel emissions testing, as it was announced Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015.

Sept. 23, 2015: Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn retires. He takes professional responsibility for the emissions scandal but denies any personal fault for the 11 million cars that had defeat devices installed in them. 

"As CEO, I accept responsibility for the irregularities that have been found in diesel engines and have therefore requested the Supervisory Board to agree on terminating my function as CEO of the Volkswagen Group,” Mr. Winterkorn says in a statement.

Winterkorn is replaced by Mathias Mueller on Sept. 25. Mr. Mueller had been the CEO for Porsche before accepting the CEO position at Volkswagen.

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