The latest legal action came three days after prosecutors arrested an executive of Audi Volkswagen Korea for installing software in the Golf subcompact to cheat on their emissions tests in 2014 to get approval from the Korean government.

In November 2014, Audi Volkswagen Korea obtained the approval of the Golf 1.4 TSI. Under Korean law, all imported cars should first receive approval from the National Institute of Environmental Research for their emissions results and noise levels.

Ha said he expects the number of Golf subcompact owners who join the suit will go up in the coming months, citing a total of 1,567 units of the Golf 1.4 TSI were sold in Korea since March last year.

On Friday, prosecutors said they suspect the company doctored over a hundred reports on emissions results, noise levels and fuel efficiency between August 2010 and February 2015. Some models were even imported without going through the proper certification process, they said.

Also Monday, owners of Audi and Volkswagen cars submitted a petition to Korea's environment ministry and asked the ministry to open a probe into all models of Audi and Volkswagen cars over possible fabrication of emissions tests.

They also asked the ministry to stop its discussions with the local unit of the German carmaker over a recall and order Volkswagen to refund the cost of their diesel cars fitted with EA189 engines.

Earlier this month, the environment ministry rejected Volkswagen's plan to recall vehicles that fabricated emissions results for the third straight time, saying the local unit of the German carmaker did not admit to using a defeat device to trick the testing equipment. (Yonhap)