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US: FTC sues VW over ‘clean diesel’ advertising campaign

By  |  March 29, 2016

The FTC has sued Volkswagen over its “Clean Diesel” messages over the past few years. Because of VW’s ongoing diesel scandal and the fact that the company was designing and selling diesel vehicles that did not meet the legal emission requirements, the FTC is asking for compensation for anyone who bought or leased an affected car between late 2008 and late 2015. As we’ve reported here many times, the number of affected VW and Audi TDI models in the US is around 550,000. Many buyers felt that VW’s deception was enough to file their own individual complaints to the FTC.

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    The FTC says that the compensation is fair because of VW’s, “deceptive and unfair practices” as it broadcast a “clean diesel” message through, “a high-profile marketing campaign that included Super Bowl ads, online social media campaigns, and print advertising, often targeting ‘environmentally-conscious’ consumers.” To show just one example, see the “Mom,” commercial above. The FTC voted 4-0 to bring the lawsuit. VW says that it received the complaint that the FTC filed with the Multidistrict Lawsuit with Judge Breyer in San Francisco and, “continues to cooperate with all relevant US regulators, including the Federal Trade Commission. Our most important priority is to find a solution to the diesel emissions matter and earn back the trust of our customers and dealers as we build a better company.”

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