Tamara Burns  |  October 6, 2015

Category: Consumer News

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VW emissionsVolkswagen has been marketing their commitment to low-emissions vehicle manufacturing as green, environmentally responsible, and ecologically sustainable.

On Sept. 18, VW was issued a Notice of Violation letter from the Environmental Protection Agency when the federal agency discovered that the company’s cars were emitting way more toxic fumes than allowed by law.

Plaintiff Lisa Lowrance is one of several consumers who has filed a putative class action lawsuit against Volkswagen AG and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. for misrepresenting VW emissions.

Lowrance said one of the reasons she bought her VW Beetle in 2014 was because of the Clean Diesel technology offered by the manufacturer. She thought it had an environmentally friendly engine, got excellent gas mileage, and performed well all around.

Then she found out that Volkswagen was accused of skirting emissions regulations by installing devices that could detect when emissions tests were being performed.

During testing, the cars were designed to emit less emissions than during regular driving conditions. It is estimated that under regular driving conditions, Volkswagen cars manufactured during 2009-2015 were releasing as much as 40 times more environmental waste than is legally allowed for emissions.

Lowrence’s lawsuit alleges that Volkswagen has violated the Clean Air Act since 2009. Lowrence explains, “My first thought was that I was betrayed and my second was that I was heartbroken because I love that car.”

Feeling good about her purchase in 2014 and feeling she was doing her part to protect the environment, she invited her friends to join her. “I told everybody I could to buy one,” Lowrence says. “I really believed in it. And now I am going to voluntarily impound my car because it’s a rolling pollution machine. They’ve stigmatized it.”

It appears that Volkwagen will be required to recall the affected vehicles, and the company has paused the selling of some of their cars in the U.S. Following the news of the VW emissions scandal, it was estimated that 11 million vehicles are affected by this problem. The affected models are 2009-2015 model years for diesel Beetle, Golf, Jetta, Passat and Audi A3 cars.

The head of the California Air Resources Board from 1999-2004, Alan Lloyd helped open the market in California for diesel vehicles. His statement seems to accurately sum up the views of many in light of this scandal. “I’m just amazed. Why someone would think they could cheat in this way and get away with it is beyond me.”

VW Emissions Lawsuit Information

Multiple federal and class action lawsuits have already been filed following the news of the Volkswagen emissions scandal. The lawsuits allege deceptive practices by the company in their marketing and claims. Consumers feel swindled and say they would not have purchased the vehicles had they known the truth about their poor emissions and the detriment the cars have on the environment.

UPDATE: On June 28, 2016, Volkswagen reached proposed settlements with both the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission following the VW emissions scandal. VW’s deal with the DOJ includes up to $14.7 billion along with vehicle buyback provisions as well as funding for pollution control programs. In addition to the DOJ settlement, Volkswagen will also spend up to $10 billion in a buyback and lease termination settlement with the FTC that is expected to include about 475,000 vehicles.

UPDATE 2: The Volkswagen, Audi diesel emissions class action settlement is now open! Click here to file a claim!

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2 thoughts onVolkswagen Hit With Class Action Lawsuit Over Emissions Scandal

  1. Top Class Actions says:

    UPDATE 2: The Volkswagen, Audi diesel emissions class action settlement is now open! Click here to file a claim!

  2. Top Class Actions says:

    UPDATE: On June 28, 2016, Volkswagen reached proposed settlements with both the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission following the VW emissions scandal. VW’s deal with the DOJ includes up to $14.7 billion along with vehicle buyback provisions as well as funding for pollution control programs. In addition to the DOJ settlement, Volkswagen will also spend up to $10 billion in a buyback and lease termination settlement with the FTC that is expected to include about 475,000 vehicles.

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