ECJ expands compensation rights for ‘dieselgate’ car owners
The EU’s top court ruled on Tuesday that owners of cars fitted with illegal devices used to cheat emissions tests can sue the manufacturers even when intent cannot be proven.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling came in a case involving the owner of a Mercedes car that had been fitted with a so-called “thermal window”.
“The purchaser of a vehicle equipped with an illegal defeat device is entitled to compensation from the car manufacturer,” the court said.
The device is considered by environmental organizations as a tool to reduce emissions under test conditions, but it does not reduce emissions in real life.
Until now, vehicle owners could only claim damages if the manufacturer intentionally misled customers, as was the case with the Volkswagen EA189 engine, which was the center of the “Dieselgate” scandal.
Automakers have argued that the technology exists to protect the engine.
Source: DW
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