Owners of GDI Engine Vehicles May Have Paid Too Much

Did you purchase or lease a gasoline direct injection engine vehicle from one of several major German automakers?

Owners of GDI engine vehicles may have been affected by an illegal scheme allegedly conducted by manufacturers Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and Volkswagen, in which the companies supposedly worked together to restrict innovation on GDI engine vehicles.

Consumers who purchased or leased one of these vehicles during this time period may have as a result paid an artificially high price.

What are German Auto Manufacturers Accused of?

According to the European Union as well as a recent antitrust lawsuit, German automakers Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and Volkswagen allegedly colluded for a period from 2009 to 2014 to restrict innovation on GDI engine vehicles. Basically, this means that the companies agreed to delay the release of significant engine innovations that could have been on the market earlier, thereby denying consumers the latest available technologies.

Specifically, the companies allegedly agreed to prevent the introduction of particulate filters to their GDI engine vehicles during this five-year time period. Later, the companies worked together to coordinate the introduction of vehicles made with these filters, the lawsuit alleges.

Not only does this kind of agreement deprive consumers of the latest innovations, in this case, it also denies them the technology that would create less pollution.

This kind of agreement among companies is known as an antitrust scheme, which means that companies in a particular industry are working together to coordinate either the production or pricing (or both) for their products. Antitrust schemes can involve the quality, quantity, and/or price of goods and services in the industry. These agreements don’t necessarily need to be written—verbal or inferred agreements can also constitute antitrust agreements.

The European Commission also alleges that the automakers colluded from 2006 to 2014 in a similar fashion to restrict innovation on diesel engine vehicles.

The companies are now being investigated for potentially violating several antitrust laws, and some companies have responded differently than others. Mercedes-Benz notes that it has been “cooperating extensively” with the commission, BMW denies that there were any “secret agreements,” and Volkswagen has said it would take a look at the complaints that have been brought forward and respond later.

This is the latest in scandals involving German automakers. In 2015, Volkswagen was embroiled in a scandal in which it admitted to rigging millions of its diesel engines to cheat on emissions tests.

Filing a GDI Engine Vehicles Antitrust Lawsuit

If you either purchased or leased one of the GDI engine vehicles manufactured by Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and/or Volkswagen sometime between 2006 and 2014, you may have paid more money for your vehicle than you should have. You and others in a similar situation could be entitled to compensation by participating in this antitrust class action investigation.

Consulting an experienced attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

Join a German Vehicle Antitrust Class Action Lawsuit

If you leased or purchased a new diesel vehicle from Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and/or Volkswagen between 2006 and 2014, you may be eligible to join this antitrust lawsuit.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.