volkswagen scared to engage?

i've been reading matt galloway's volkswagen woes with interest. he knows vw is keeping an eye on his blog by tracing their IP address, but why won't vw respond? do vw realise the power of syndicated blog posts and that what was once private communication between a disgruntled consumer is now available for the world to see? matt asks how companies should deal with negative word of mouth (see the cillit bang story if you want to know how WoM can go horribly wrong!). i agree with him - vw needs to be open and honest - just as the makers of cillit bang were? have they learned their lesson?