German authorities gave Volkswagen a deadline of Oct 7 to set out a timeline for bringing all its diesel cars in line with national pollution standards, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

The federal motor vehicle office told VW to set out "binding measures and a timetable" by the deadline showing how it will meet emissions standards without resorting to software that rigs test results, Bild am Sonntag reported.

If Volkswagen fails to meet the deadline, the KBA warned in a two-page letter, the authority could withdraw approval for the affected models, meaning they could no longer be sold or even moved on German roads.