Mercedes and Vauxhall emission scandal claims set to continue into 2022

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Owners of Mercedes or Vauxhall vehicles affected by the diesel emission scandal have been mis-sold to. These vehicles were falsely advertised, and as a result the UK has seen an increase in harmful emissions that impact people and the planet. Affected motorists are eligible for between £200 and £10,000.

In 2015, it was revealed that a number of Volkswagen vehicles had cheated on their diesel emissions test. This was done using specialised technology during testing, which helped to disguise the amount of pollutants the vehicle would actually emit when used on the road.

The technology that helped VW achieve this is known as a “defeat device” – a software that could sense when the vehicle was being tested, and would make adjustments to its performance to produce fake results. When in this adjusted mode, the vehicle would run below its full power, sensing it was in a testing situation via air pressure, speed, the steering wheel position and the engine operation.

The result of this immoral practise was putting vehicles on the road that omitted up to 40 times more nitrogen oxide pollutants than the regulatory limit for the US. VW’s response to the scandal, as reported in the BBC, was to say: “We’ve totally screwed up.” This was Michael Horn, VW America boss. Martin Winterkorn, chief executive of the group at the time, who has now resigned from this position due to the scandal, said the company had “broken the trust of our customers and the public”.

While starting with VW, vehicle manufacturers implicated in the scandal now also include Skoda, Seat, Audi, BMW, Ford, Mercedes, Vauxhall and more. Consumers who feel they have been affected by the dieselgate scandal are being advised that they may be eligible to make a legal claim for compensation. Consumers who bought vehicles outright or on a lease deal between 2007 and 2018 that have a diesel engine, and have had to spend money to make their car comply with emission standards could be eligible for this legal recourse.

Vehicles needn’t have been purchased new, meaning second-hand cars are also eligible, and consumers may also still be eligible for a claim even if they no longer own the vehicle in question. The deadline for VW diesel claims is coming up on 31st December 2021, while the one for claims for Mercedes is in January 2022. Claims for Vauxhall, Ford, Seat and Skoda claims currently have no deadline.

The Mercedes vehicles believed to be affected by the scandal are all diesel engines, sold in the period between 2008 and 2018. Reportedly, there are more than 600,000 Mercedes vehicles affected in the UK. The illegal actions of Mercedes have reduced the resale value of impacted vehicles, as well as causing greater volumes of emissions to be released than is legally allowed, damaging the environment.

Those interested in making a claim with Mercedes can check their eligibility online. If eligible, they can then join the legal action that is to be taken against Mercedes, and if successful, members will be given a percentage of the settlement as agreed beforehand. If unsuccessful, claim members won’t have to pay anything.