The VW settlement is basically stolen money. The whole emissions scandal was set up as a way to punish the Germans and warn the Europeans about going against US interests. US is not happy about Nord Stream 2 and the Apple tax evasion suit (€14 billion in unpaid EU taxes) in Ireland. Hopefully this kind of state criminality will remain an outlier.

Moreover many of the VW manufactured cars are great. We have a Skokda Superb (3.6L gas engine) which is a fantastic car and well made by the VW group. I believe the factory is in Mladá Boleslav in Czech Republic.