Mexico to check nearly 40,000 VW cars

Authorities will check whether 39,890 Volkswagen diesel cars sold in Mexico comply with emission rules, even though they were no rigged to cheat environmental tests, officials said Friday.

The prosecutor's office for environmental protection (Profepa) asked the German automaker to provide information to corroborate whether the vehicles sold in the country between 2009 and 2015 did not violate pollution tests.

Environment Minister Rafael Pacchiano said the diesel cars circulating in Mexico were not fitted with the same rigged software that was detected by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

But the cars will nevertheless be checked to "ensure that the Mexican environmental regulations were adequately respected," Pacchiano said in a statement.

Sanctions will be imposed on Volkswagen if any irregularities are detected, he said.

The German company has admitted that 11 million of its diesel cars are equipped with devices that covertly turn off pollution controls when the car is being driven and back on when tests are being conducted.

The German company is facing a potential $18 billion in US fines.

The scandal has cost the job of chief executive Martin Winterkorn, who was replaced on Friday by Porsche chief Matthias Mueller.