10 Most Hated Companies in America Right Now

3. Volkswagen

Once a synonym for quality and reliability, Volkswagen quickly became one of the most hated auto makers in the US. There are 7.64 million search results for the phrase “hate Volkswagen”. In September 2015, it was discovered that the company had been cheating at emission tests and its diesel cars actually released more nitrogen oxide gas than reported in testing. The company used programming software that enabled emissions controls only during laboratory testing. The magnitude of the discovery was huge as it affected millions of cars worldwide and not just Volkswagens. Other brands’ diesel vehicles were also tested and discovered to be using similar tricks, which led to more similar scandals.

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Following the “dieselgate”, Volkswagen’s stock price lost over a third of its value in the next couple of days. Volkswagen Group’s CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned and several high ranking managers were suspended. However, the stock price was not affected as much by the company’s breach of public trust and the damage to its brand as by the $18.32 billion that the company spent on rectifying it. Nevertheless, since the incident, Volkswagen’s stock price is over 60% in the green.