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VW sales rise despite diesel scandal

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2014 file photo, the 2014 Volkswagen Touareg TDI R-Line is on display during the media preview of the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place in Chicago. The U.S. government says Volkswagen cheated a second time on emissions tests, programming about 10,000 cars with larger diesel engines, including the 2014 Touareg, 2015 Porsche Cayenne and the 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8 and Q5, to emit fewer pollutants during testing than in real-world driving conditions. (AP photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2014 file photo, the 2014 Volkswagen Touareg TDI R-Line is on display during the media preview of the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place in Chicago. The U.S. government says Volkswagen cheated a second time on emissions tests, programming about 10,000 cars with larger diesel engines, including the 2014 Touareg, 2015 Porsche Cayenne and the 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8 and Q5, to emit fewer pollutants during testing than in real-world driving conditions. (AP photo/Nam Y. Huh, File) FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2014 file photo, the 2014 Volkswagen Touareg TDI R-Line is on display during the media preview of the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place in Chicago. The U.S. government says Volkswagen cheated a second time on emissions tests, programming about 10,000 cars with larger diesel engines, including the 2014 Touareg, 2015 Porsche Cayenne and the 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8 and Q5, to emit fewer pollutants during testing than in real-world driving conditions. (AP photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

By Staff and Wire Reports 5 min read

Volkswagen of America squeezed out a tiny increase in car sales last month despite the ongoing diesel emissions scandal that forced the German auto maker to quit selling several of its diesel models since it admitted in September that it used defeat devices to aid its diesel engines in getting around government emission tests.

But sales data suggest that VW had to cut prices and profit margins to maintain the sales.

photo A Volkswagen engine is pictured in this file photo.
photo FILE – In this Oct. 23, 2015 file photo a worker touches the logo of Volkswagen AG on a Phaeton in Dresden, Germany. Volkswagen is reporting a loss of 1.67 billion euros (US dollar 1.83 billion) in the third quarter, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015, as earnings took a hit from 6.7 billion euros in set-asides for recalls and fines connected to cars rigged to evade U.S. diesel emissions testing. (Ralf Hirschberger/dpa via AP, file)

Top sellers

These were the top selling vehicles in October: 1. Ford F-Series – 65,500 2. Chevrolet Silverado – 51,647 3. Dodge Ram – 40,931 4. Toyota Camry – 34,781 5. Honda Accord – 30,121 Source: Autodata Corp.

photo Volkswagen Passats are parked in a lot at Village Volkswagen on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015, in Chattanooga. Volkswagen has halted sales of 2014 and 2015 diesel Passats and certain other diesel vehicles after the EPA announced Friday that it would order Volkswagen to recall nearly 500,000 vehicles in the U.S. because they were equipped with software that allowed them to evade emissions testing.

he Volkswagen brand sold 30,387 vehicles last month, only 74 cars more than a year ago but enough for a fraction of a percent increase in sales.

Sales of the Chattanooga-made Passat jumped a surprisingly strong 24.6 percent from a year ago. VW dealers took delivery in October of 8,116 Passat cars, or 1,603 more than in the same period a year ago.