Volkswagen Agrees to Pay $15 Billion in Largest Auto-Related Settlement in U.S History

On Tuesday, 6/28 it was announced that German car manufacturer Volkswagen will pay over $15 billion to the U.S Justice Department in what is being called the largest auto-related settlement in U.S history. A large portion of the $15 billion fee will go to refunding and repairing TDI “clean diesel” model cars that were marketed to consumers using false and misleading information about the vehicles’ fuel efficiency.

The Volkswagen emissions scandal began in September of 2015, when it was revealed that VW willingly mislead millions of customers about the fuel efficiency of its TDI “clean diesel” model vehicles. For years, Volkswagen advertised these cars as eco-friendly and energy efficient. In reality, these vehicles were simply designed to fool Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions testing and were in fact emitting more than 40 times the amount of legally allowable air pollution.

Over 11 million TDI “clean diesel” vehicles made by VW, Audi, and Porsche were impacted by this massive 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

Full a full list of affected vehicle models, click here.

Volkswagen knowingly deceived their own customers about the fuel efficiency of their TDI “clean diesel” model vehicles for years. Now, VW will spend more than $10 billion to compensate vehicle owners. Owners of VW TDI vehicles that agree to the settlement will receive $5,000 to $10,000 in compensation. Additionally, VW will either repair the cars, or buy back the vehicles and terminate the existing lease.

Consumers put their faith in 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.

At Henson Fuerst, our North Carolina Product Liability attorneys have years of experience holding manufacturers accountable for putting unsafe products on the market. We stand up to major manufacturers on behalf of our clients, and we will fight hard to secure the justice you deserve.

Call us today at 919-781-1107 or fill out a free online contact form for a FREE, confidential consultation about your claim. At Henson Fuerst, we will investigate every detail of your situation at no cost to you. You will never pay an attorney’s fee up front, and you owe us nothing unless we recover for you.

Henson Fuerst, Because Your Case Matters

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