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Dieselgate goes to court

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October 13, 2025
3 min read

Five car makers are going to court over a major lawsuit regarding the dieselgate emissions scandal. This is latest episode over the scandal alleging that these firms used software to cheat on emissions testing. Lawyers say it is the largest class action lawsuit in English and Welsh legal history, possibly involving over a million car owners.

The car firms are Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot/Citroen (PSA), Renault, and Nissan, all of whom deny the allegations. They have been chosen as lead defendants to be tried first due to the size of the case. They are accused by over 200,000 car owners of misleading them over the emissions of the vehicles. A further nine may also face similar claims.

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Dieselgate first appeared in September 2015 after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the US accused Volkswagen of installing ‘defeat devices’ or software on its diesel cars to lower the car’s emissions when it is being tested. The car is alleged to know when it is on an emissions test and puts the engine into a different mode to that it would have on the road.

In 2020, the High Court ruled that the German company had been using defeat devices, breaking EU regulations to get around emissions testing. Volkswagen settled a class action lawsuit out of court and paid £193 million to 91,000 British drivers. It has paid over £27 billion over the scandal, mainly in the USA.

The High Court will decide whether the systems in diesel cars from the five companies were similarly designed to circumvent clean air laws. Lawyers representing motorists will claim that they were lied to about how environmentally friendly the cars were, adding that the cars still on the road are continuing to emit a dangerous level of pollution.

A judgement over the case is unlikely before the summer of 2026. A further trial will be needed, if the car makers are guilty, to determine the level of compensation. That is not expected to kick off before autumn 2026.

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