Nathan Bomey

USA TODAY

Volkswagen Group is nearing a settlement to compensate consumers who own a second batch of diesel vehicles fitted with bogus emissions software that were not included in the automaker's nearly $15 billion deal approved in October, a federal judge said Friday.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer delayed a hearing until Monday where he was expected to get updates on settlement talks regarding more than 80,000 3-liter diesel vehicles.

Owners could qualify for a buy back or a free fix and compensation, depending on how the final deal shakes out and whether all of the vehicles can feasibly be brought into compliance with regulations.

Breyer instructed negotiators for the German automaker and plaintiffs to continue their talks in hopes of reaching a deal.

"The parties are in intensive discussions," Breyer said in an abbreviated court appearance in San Francisco. "I don't want anybody going home."

Former FBI director Robert Mueller, whom Breyer appointed to lead the settlement talks as an impartial mediator, is negotiating the deal. The accord would cover certain VW, Audi and Porsche models.

Volkswagen was widely expected to settle the 3-liter diesel claims after it agreed to buy back or fix and pay off owners of more than 470,000 2-liter diesel cars that were fitted with software to cheat emissions regulations.

Judge: VW closer to deal on polluting diesel V-6 cars

Buybacks for the 2-liter cars range in value from $12,475 to $44,176, including restitution payments, and vary based on mileage. People who opt for a fix will receive payments ranging from $5,100 to $9,852, depending on the book value of their cars.

Part of the automaker's 2-liter settlement with consumers, the Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Trade Commission and California regulators included several billion dollars for environmental remediation and fuel-efficiency efforts.

It was not immediately clear Friday whether the 3-liter deal would include similar provisions.

"I want to see whether or not we can arrive at a resolution," Breyer told attorneys.

The judge rescheduled the 1 p.m. ET hearing for 5 p.m. ET.

Volkswagen has already set aside about $19 billion to pay the costs of the scandal, including the original consumer settlement. Ellinghorst estimated that figure includes about $1.5 billion for the 3-liter deal.

"It seems likely that the majority" of the vehicles "can be fixed rather than a full recall becoming necessary," Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst said Thursday in a research note.

A buyback of older models that are less likely to be fixable and repairs of the newer models would cost about $1 billion to $1.5 billion, Ellinghorst estimated. But a buyback of all the vehicles could cost about $2.5 billion.

Separately, the Obama administration is negotiating a criminal settlement with Volkswagen over the emissions scandal, which exploded in September 2015 when the EPA and California Air Resources Board exposed the cheating software.

Ellinghorst estimated that the criminal settlement would cost VW about $3 billion.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.