Diesel engines have long been a favorite not only among those that need to tow and haul heavy loads on a regular basis, but also, many across Europe, specifically. There, a large number of vehicles ranging from small cars to big vans have long been offered with diesel power, though recently, a number of automakers were accused of cheating diesel emissions standards in the UK. As Ford Authority reported in February, those companies will stand trial to address these accusations, but now, a group of Ford diesel owners is taking action before that process begins.
According to Reuters, a whopping 1.5 million claimants are now suing 13 different vehicle manufacturing groups in a massive legal action that could cost automakers a collective six billion pounds ($7.6 billion USD). Ford is among the automakers named in these suits, and has been accused of making and selling diesel engines that emitted harmful levels of toxic NOx gases and also skirted both European and UK-based regulatory standards. Lawmakers claim that these companies used emissions defeat devices to conceal that fact.
These lawsuits come years after Volkswagen faced its own massive diesel cheating scheme that ultimately cost that automaker 32 billion euros ($34 billion USD) in legal fees, fines, and vehicle refits, but Ford maintains that it has done nothing wrong. “We see no merit in these claims and are robustly defending against them. Our vehicles and engines meet all applicable emissions requirements,” a Ford spokesperson said in a statement.
Ford and Mercedes-Benz will be the first to head to court and address these allegations, but there are six other automakers named in the case as well – Nissan Renault, Volvo, Jaguar Land Rover, Vauxhall, Citroen, and Peugeot. “We continue to believe that the claims against Mercedes-Benz are without merit and will vigorously defend ourselves against them or any group action with the necessary legal means,” a spokesperson for that company said in a statement.
We’ll have more on this and all Ford-related legal issues soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford lawsuit news and non-stop Ford news coverage.
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