In September 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Volkswagen had programmed certain emissions controls on its diesel engines to be activated only during regulatory testing but not during real-world driving. Thus, while nitrogen oxide levels would meet U.S. standards during regulatory testing, they greatly exceeded these standards when the cars were actually on the road. From 2009 through 2015, Volkswagen put this programming in place in over ten million cars worldwide (500,000 in the United States alone). The scandal unfolded with significant financial repercussions and massive reputational damage to the company. Its reputation, particularly in the important US market, took a severe hit. The reputational effect extended beyond the company itself as German government officials expressed concerns that the value of the imprimatur 'Made in Germany' would be diminished because of Volkswagen's actions. Which of the following most accurately summarizes the Volkswagen emissions case study?