Several major global car manufacturers are set to face a crucial trial at the High Court in London. The plaintiff’s lawyers representing approximately 1.6 million car owners, accuse these companies of using cheat devices in diesel emission tests. This marks exactly ten years since the Volkswagen “dieselgate” scandal.
According to a report by Reuters on October 13th, this case is one of the largest collective lawsuits in the history of the UK justice system. The brands involved include Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Nissan, Renault, as well as Peugeot and Citroën under Stellantis, with car owners alleging that these companies installed illegal “cheat devices” on diesel vehicles.
The plaintiff’s lawyers argue that these devices are able to detect environmental conditions and keep emission levels within legal limits during testing, but fail to meet standards during everyday driving. The manufacturers, on the other hand, refute these claims, stating they lack evidence and deny any similarity to the scandal that erupted in 2015. Mercedes-Benz emphasizes that their emission control systems are legally and technically sound.
In the 2015 “dieselgate” scandal, Volkswagen installed cheat software on several diesel cars, which automatically reduced emissions during official tests to pass inspections, but emitted pollutants far above standards during actual driving. Following the revelation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Volkswagen admitted to the fraud, eventually paying billions in fines, with several top executives resigning and facing criminal charges.
Currently, the first phase of the case will focus on confirming whether the defendant vehicles are equipped with illegal “cheat devices.” If established by the court, it will proceed to the compensation phase, with the compensation amount to be decided in another trial next year. The entire litigation process is expected to last until mid-2026.
This trial centers on certain diesel vehicle models from the five manufacturers, involving around 850,000 plaintiffs. The court ruling may also be binding for hundreds of thousands of similar claims against other brands, including Vauxhall, Opel, and BMW under Stellantis.
Martyn Day from Leigh Day law firm, representing the plaintiffs, stated that if these allegations are proven, it “would show this as one of the most serious corporate misbehaviors in modern times.”
The High Court in London previously made an unfavorable ruling against Volkswagen in 2020 regarding the “cheat devices” and reached an undisclosed settlement in 2022 without admitting liability. Currently, 14 car manufacturers globally are facing related claims, with the scale of the case far surpassing that of the Volkswagen affair, estimating total claims around £6 billion (approximately $7.97 billion).
Furthermore, car manufacturers are also facing legal actions in other countries. For example, in July of this year, a Dutch court ruled that diesel vehicles from Opel, Peugeot, Citroën, and DS under Stellantis were equipped with cheat devices, although Stellantis denies these accusations. In the U.S. and other regions, manufacturers and suppliers have paid fines and reached settlements to address diesel vehicle emissions investigations.
(This article is based on related reports by Reuters)