The Dieselgate diesel emissions scandal may have started with Volkswagen and US car owners but it quickly spread throughout Europe, the UK, and the rest of the world. Numerous car manufacturers have also been implicated in the scandal, including one of the most popular brands in the world, Mercedes-Benz.
In September 2015, US authorities discovered defeat devices in diesel vehicles manufactured and sold in the American market by Volkswagen. Several months later, in February 2016, American car owners who bought Mercedes-Benz diesel vehicles filed a class-action lawsuit against the German carmaker as they suspected the use of defeat devices. Mercedes’ parent company Daimler denied the accusations but eventually decided to conduct their own investigation in April 2016 as ordered by the US Justice Department.
A year later, German prosecutors raided 11 of Daimler’s manufacturing sites in relation to ongoing allegations of the use of cheat devices in Mercedes-Benz diesel vehicles. Around 774,000 Mercedes cars and vans were recalled a year later in June 2018 after the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (or KBA – Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt) found cheat software installed intended to manipulate emissions levels.
In the UK, the first group litigation filed against Mercedes-Benz was set into motion in May 2020. By October 2020, more Mercedes models were added to the list of vehicles for recall. Two months later, affected car owners in the UK filed for Mercedes diesel compensation claims.
From then on, Mercedes-Benz and Daimler have been recalling affected diesel vehicles and paying off fines and compensation claims.
What defeat devices do
Defeat devices are programmed to detect when a vehicle is in the lab for emissions testing. Once they do, they artificially reduce emissions levels to ensure that these are kept within the limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
However, when the vehicles they are installed in are driven in real-world road conditions, the vehicles emit nitrogen oxides in huge amounts – amounts that go beyond the EU and WHO’s legal limits by several magnitudes.
What these defeat devices do is cheat the regulatory approval test for emissions. They do not reflect the real emissions level of the affected vehicle. Without this type of equipment, the vehicles they’re installed in will not pass the test.
Affected Mercedes models
Mercedes-Benz vehicles that were found to have used defeat devices fit the following:
- Cars and vans that were manufactured by Mercedes-Benz and made between the years 2008 and July 2018 (including E-Class models from 2010 and GLE models from 2011)
- The vehicle is equipped with a BlueTec diesel engine
- The vehicle can be pre-owned or new, leased or outright
- The vehicle has been recalled and corrected so it can comply with regulatory emissions standards
These vehicles were marketed and sold as safe and clean for the environment, but in reality, they are pollutants. As such, thousands upon thousands of BlueTec vehicles have been recalled so they can be fixed and equipped with safer, emissions-compliant engines.
Why you need to file a Mercedes emissions claim
If your vehicle belongs to any of the models affected by the defeat device, you have the right to file an emissions claim against your manufacturer. There are several reasons for you to do so:
- First, Mercedes knowingly mis-sold defeat device-equipped vehicles to you and all other affected customers
- Second, Mercedes exposed you and the people around you to dangerous volumes of pollutants that are harmful to the environment and human health
- Third, Mercedes sold the affected vehicle to you at a premium price and this caused you financial burden and inconvenience
Affected car owners can get Mercedes diesel compensation worth several hundred pounds to a maximum of around £10,000 per vehicle. The exact compensation typically depends on the circumstances of your case. Some factors may also affect the amount that you are going to receive.
How to file your emissions claim?
Anybody affected by the Dieselgate diesel emissions scandal should file a compensation claim against their manufacturer even if it often takes months (or years in some cases) to finish. The process can also be quite challenging, so your question right now would probably be, “What should I do to file my diesel claim?”
The ideal thing to do is to find a panel of emissions solicitors to help you with the step-by-step process of your claim. These experts are committed and experienced in winning emissions claims so they know exactly what to do to get the compensation you deserve from Mercedes-Benz. Best of all, they offer a no-win-no-fee guarantee, which means you do not have to worry about expenses.
Emissions.co.uk has a panel of emissions solicitors who are legally equipped to work on your behalf to obtain compensation for every inconvenience, financial burden, and health risk that the defeat device has caused you and the people around you. Visit their website to see if you are eligible to claim so you can start your Mercedes emissions claim.
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