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Carmakers Face Massive UK Trial Over Alleged Diesel Emissions Cheating

By  |  October 14, 2025
Carmakers Face Massive UK Trial Over Alleged Diesel Emissions Cheating

Some of the world’s largest car manufacturers stand accused of manipulating diesel emissions tests, with lawyers representing more than 1.6 million drivers claiming they “would rather cheat than comply with the law,” according to Reuters. The case, which opened in London’s High Court on Monday, marks one of the most extensive group actions in English legal history.

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    A decade after the Volkswagen “dieselgate” scandal that cost the German company billions, automakers including Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Nissan, Renault, and Stellantis-owned Peugeot and Citroën are now facing similar allegations. The claimants, representing diesel vehicle owners from 2012 to 2017, allege the manufacturers used illegal “defeat devices” to cheat pollution tests, per Reuters. These devices are said to have detected when a vehicle was undergoing testing, temporarily reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to meet regulatory standards.

    According to Reuters, lawyers for the claimants argue that in real-world driving conditions, emissions were significantly higher—sometimes up to 12 times above legal limits—contributing to environmental damage and health risks. They contend that consumers deserve compensation for being misled. The automakers, however, have dismissed the accusations as baseless, maintaining that their emissions control systems were legally designed and behaved differently in certain conditions for safety and performance reasons.

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    Manufacturers also deny any direct link to Volkswagen’s 2015 scandal, when the company admitted to installing defeat devices in millions of cars worldwide. That controversy continues to cast a long shadow over the automotive industry.

    The current trial will initially examine 20 sample vehicles from the five manufacturers. Nearly 850,000 claimants are directly involved in this stage of proceedings, with the court set to decide whether the vehicles contained unlawful software. The ruling will also influence approximately 800,000 additional claims against other manufacturers, including Vauxhall, Opel, and BMW, Reuters reported.

    The trial is expected to conclude next year, with a judgment anticipated in mid-2026. Should the court rule against the automakers, a separate phase will determine how much compensation affected drivers might receive.

    This is not the first time the High Court has weighed in on emissions manipulation. In 2020, it ruled that Volkswagen had used illegal defeat devices, leading to a settlement in 2022—though the company did not admit liability.

    Source: Reuters