Volkswagen and the Blame the Engineer Game
Disclaimer: I work for a competitor.<p>Bottom line: real world use should be tested, but this is expensive and neither side wants to pay for it.<p>Regarding compliance department complicity, the biggest factor in my mind is two-fold: You test for compliance with regulations and you have limited time. You ensure that the internal test parameters match the external regulatory test. You don&#x27;t have funding to do real world tests. You don&#x27;t have funding to do static code analysis. You believe the documents you are given, as they have been signed by responsible adults. You use the tools you are given, because they have been developed by professionals.<p>Regarding what competitors knew and when: I haven&#x27;t seen a discussion of exactly how much better these engines were than competitors.<p>Regarding the scandal in general: The public has been demanding better and better automotive safety and quality represented by government regulations, voting with dollars, and lawsuits. It takes time for these lessons to be internalized, and different corporations and internal groups do this at different speeds. If you are the largest automaker in the world it is kind of natural to think that everything must be ok! (See also: GM, Toyota)