New Volkswagen North America chief Winfried Vahland out after three weeks

Nathan Bomey | USA TODAY

Volkswagen's newly appointed head of North America is leaving the company less than three weeks after he was assigned to that position, injecting a new measure of instability as the company navigates an emissions scandal.

The sudden exit of Winfried Vahland gives the company's sweeping restructuring of its global operations a discombobulated feel, raising further questions about the future of its business in the U.S.

Also Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission said in a statement it "is coordinating with other federal agencies who are investigating Volkswagen" over the emissions matter.

Vahland and Volkswagen had "differing views" on the company's new structure, the automaker said in a statement. His exit is "expressly not related" to the emissions scandal, VW said.

Vahland's swift appointment as head of the new North America region on Sept. 25 was billed as critical to creating a cohesive strategy for Volkswagen in one of the company's few weak spots. It came just a week after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency exposed the fact that Volkswagen had installed software on vehicles to cheat emissions tests.

The company's U.S. chief, Michael Horn, who was set to report to Vahland, is staying in his current role.

Volkswagen did not immediately name a successor for Vahland, who also led Volkswagen's China operation for a period and was most recently chairman of the Skoda brand.

"In the last 25 years, Professor Vahland made a great contribution to the company," Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Mueller said in a statement. "We respect his decision and thank him for his exceptional performance."

Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.