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Diesel Cheating Claims Mostly Rejected by Court
10 Jul
Summary
- High Court judge ruled most car strategies were not prohibited defeat devices.
- Around 1.6 million motorists claimed diesel vehicles had emissions cheating software.
- A further trial is scheduled to determine damages for actionable breaches.
A significant ruling from the High Court has largely favored major car manufacturers, dismissing most claims that their diesel vehicles contained prohibited defeat devices (PDDs) used to cheat emissions tests. The extensive trial, involving 20 sample vehicles from five manufacturers, found that the strategies employed by Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Nissan, Ford, and Peugeot and Citroen generally did not constitute PDDs.
While the court did identify one non-compliant strategy in certain Mercedes cars removed in 2015 and some in Peugeot-Citroën vehicles, it rejected the majority of allegations brought by approximately 1.6 million motorists. These motorists claimed they were misled about the emissions output of their diesel vehicles, primarily purchased or leased in England and Wales.
A subsequent trial is slated for October 2026 to determine any actionable breaches and assess damages. This initial ruling focused only on a limited number of sample vehicles, with a much broader group of manufacturers, including Volkswagen, Porsche, BMW, and Jaguar Land Rover, involved in the wider case.
The dieselgate scandal, which first emerged in 2015 with Volkswagen, involved allegations of software designed to lower emissions readings during tests but allow higher pollution during real-world driving. This scandal has led to substantial global fines and compensation, with Volkswagen alone paying billions worldwide.
