Volkswagen to Pay $15 Billion in Largest Settlement Agreement in U.S. Automotive History

On Tuesday, 6/28 Volkswagen announced that it had reached a settlement agreement with the U.S. Justice Department worth more than $15 billion. The agreement, which is the largest settlement in U.S. automotive history, will settle claims that Volkswagen knowingly mislead consumers about the fuel efficiency of its TDI “clean diesel” vehicles for years. A majority of the $15 billion will be used to compensate customers that purchased or leased TDI “clean diesel” model cars due to VW’s false advertising.

For years, Volkswagen marketed their TDI “clean diesel” vehicles as eco-friendly, energy efficient alternatives to other high polluting cars on the market. In September of 2015, it was revealed that not only were VW’s claims about their TDI vehicles completely false, these vehicles were in fact emitting up to 40 times the amount of legally allowable air pollution.

VW knowingly programmed their TDI diesel engines to fool emissions tests by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). During testing, the cars would emit low amounts of harmful emissions to appear environmentally friendly, but as soon as the tests ended they would continue spewing harmful pollutants into the atmosphere.

More than 11 million cars worldwide were impacted by the VW emissions scandal, one of the largest in automotive history. Affected vehicle models include:

• Volkswagen Jetta TDI – model year 2009-2015
• Volkswagen Golf TDI – model year 2010-2015
• Volkswagen Beetle TDI – model year 2013-2015
• Volkswagen Passat TDI – model year 2012-2015
• Audi A3 TDI – model year 2009-2015
• And many others

Click here to view a full list of vehicle models that were impacted by this scandal.

As part of their settlement agreement, VW will pay more than $10 billion to replace or repair TDI “clean diesel” vehicles. An additional $5 billion will be set aside to support various clean air initiatives.

Consumers depend on manufacturers to create products that are safe, reliable and effective. When manufacturers like VW willingly mislead consumers about the products they sell, or fail to warn customers about potential health risks, the results can be devastating.

If you or a loved one are harmed by a product that is unsafe or defective, call Daggett Shuler Law right away at 336-724-1234. When you call, you will speak with an experienced Winston-Salem and Greensboro, North Carolina Product Liability attorney absolutely FREE.

When you call Daggett Shuler, we will investigate every detail of your situation at no cost to you. Our attorneys have extensive experience standing up to major product manufacturers on behalf of our clients, and we will fight hard to secure the justice and fair compensation you deserve.

At Daggett Shuler, you will never pay an attorney’s fee up front. We take all cases on a contingency basis, which means that we don’t get paid until you do.

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