BMW Latest Manufacturer Accused of Altering Diesel Emissions | OTS News

In the aftermath of the Dieselgate diesel emissions scandal, authorities have become more vigilant when it comes to diesel vehicles and their manufacturers. Despite the repercussions of the scandal, carmakers continue to sell cars equipped with illegal cheat software designed to manipulate emissions during laboratory testing. 

This was what prompted lawyers and legal firms to call on affected drivers and urge them to file a diesel claim against their carmakers. The initial hearing for the claims case involving the Volkswagen Group was held in 2019. That resulted in the High Court ruling against that carmaker, a confirmation that the VW Group placed defeat devices inside Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, and Seat diesel-powered vehicles. 

The Dieselgate scandal, however, is not centred on just one carmaker or one country; it is a global scandal that has continuously sent shockwaves throughout the automotive industry. Many other carmakers have now been accused of using illegal defeat devices and deceiving their customers. 

BMW emissions scandal

Thousands upon thousands of these car owners drive BMW diesel vehicles. The German carmaker is one of those accused of getting significant profit from the use of defeat devices in their diesel vehicles. 

BMW first got into trouble with authorities in 2017, after it was revealed that the carmaker colluded with other German manufacturers, namely the Volkswagen Group and Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler, in limiting technology for cleaner emissions. Charges were filed against them in 2019 and fines were set in 2021. Both BMW and the VW Group were fined while Daimler was not as they reported the existence of the cartel.

Around one year later, BMW was in the news again after authorities raided their headquarters about the diesel emissions scandal. The carmaker admitted to mistakenly installing around 11,400 defeat devices in their diesel vehicles. BMWs that were made between the years 2009 and 2018 are on the list of affected cars. 

Affected drivers can claim emissions compensation using any of these reasons:

• BMW’s act of misselling cars as emission-compliant 
• Dealership breach of contract
• Breach of the 2008 Unfair Trading Regulations (Consumer Protection)
• Manufacturer financier breach of contract

In addition, BMW exposed their customers to dangerous NOx or nitrogen oxide emissions, a group of gases with toxic impacts on the environment and human health.

Emissions manipulation

BMW and all the other carmakers that allegedly installed defeat devices in their diesel vehicles had one reason for doing so: they wanted to control the levels of emissions during standard tests. 

The Volkswagen Group is considered the original perpetrator of the emissions cheating scandal after US authorities discovered that Audi and VW diesel vehicles sold in the American market in 2015 were equipped with defeat devices. They initially denied the accusations but eventually admitted that their vehicles did use the cheat software. As a result, VW had to recall hundreds of thousands of affected cars and vans. They’ve also had to pay fines, compensation, and fees through the years.

Aside from BMW, other carmakers that authorities embroiled in the Dieselgate bandwagon include Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Nissan, and the British brand Vauxhall. The list is quite long, and new manufacturers are added every year or so. 

What a defeat device does is automatically reduce emissions levels to within legal limits after sensing that a vehicle is in the lab for regulatory testing. The test is required before vehicles are released for sale. Since the device lowers emissions, the vehicle will appear clean and efficient. This is only temporary, though, as it emits excessive levels of NOx once it is driven in normal driving conditions. 

NOx, the gas that defeat device-equipped diesel vehicles emit, causes life-threatening health impacts, including COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and premature death.

This is the primary reason lawyers are actively campaigning for affected drivers to file a diesel claim against their manufacturers. A successful claim will compensate the car owner, the amount of which will be decided by the court and is usually based on the circumstances of the diesel emissions case. 

Can I file my diesel claim now?

Yes, you can. Filing a diesel claim is your right as a consumer. Most emissions experts offer a no-win-no-fee guarantee, which means you won’t have to spend a single centavo if you lose your case. However, you will want to win your claim and to do this, you need to visit Emissions.co.uk to verify your eligibility as not all diesel vehicles are equipped with a defeat device. 

Once you’re done with the verification process, you can start working on your emission claim with an emissions expert who can help you decide whether to file an individual case or join a class-action lawsuit.