Major lawsuit from Mercedes to Renault, from Ford to Citroen: 1.6 million people lined up for automotive giants

The plaintiffs, representing approximately 1.6 million vehicle owners, allege that the brands in question used specialized software to reduce emissions during testing. These systems are said to be activated only during testing and are disabled during normal vehicle use.

LARGEST CLASS LIABILITY LAWSUIT

The case, which began at the High Court in London, England, is considered one of the largest collective damages cases in the country's history. The first phase will determine whether manufacturers used illegal "defeat devices."

Automotive giants deny accusations

The lawsuit involves Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Nissan, Renault, and the Stellantis Group's Peugeot and Citroen brands. The manufacturers have described the accusations as "baseless" and maintain they bear no resemblance to Volkswagen's 2015 "Dieselgate" scandal. Mercedes-Benz emphasized that its emissions control systems are "legally and technically appropriate."

Billions of dollars in compensation are on the agenda

The court will examine specific diesel models from five manufacturers. Following initial hearings, if the court finds that illegal emissions devices were used, compensation amounts will be determined at a second hearing in 2026. The decision is expected to set a precedent for hundreds of thousands of similar cases pending in the UK against other brands, such as BMW and Opel/Vauxhall.

Martyn Day, one of the plaintiffs' lawyers, said that if the allegations were proven, they would be facing "one of the biggest breaches of corporate trust in the modern era."

In the shadow of the Dieselgate scandal

Volkswagen admitted to manipulating emissions tests in the diesel scandal that broke out in the US in 2015, resulting in fines and compensation of more than 32 billion euros for the company. The incident shook the global automotive industry and led to similar lawsuits being filed against many brands.

14 PRODUCERS LAWSUIT FILED

The new UK lawsuit involves 14 different car manufacturers, and lawyers for the plaintiffs estimate the total value of the cases could be around £6 billion (about $8 billion).

Similar cases have spread to other European countries. In July, a Dutch court ruled that diesel vehicles from Opel, Peugeot-Citroen, and DS, part of the Stellantis group, had illegal emissions systems. The company called the decision "wrong."

Several manufacturers in the US and Europe have been forced to pay billions of dollars in fines and enter into settlement agreements in diesel emissions lawsuits.