The competition must have known that VW was cheating, yet not one "competitor" called them out on it.

The whole thing is a systemic failure. Regulations don't work. Regulators are generally lousy at their jobs (if they aren't working for the regulatees, they will be - I'm talking about the top regulators, mind you). The "free market" failed, because if everyone is cheating no one is cheating.

It's time we start working on a replacement, because what we've got now is busted.