On September 24, 2015, The Brandi Law Firm filed a proposed class action suit against Volkswagen U.S. for allegedly using software to cheat emissions tests. (Goodrich et al v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. and Volkswagen AG, United States District Court Northern District No. 3:15-cv-04397 EDL)
In the complaint, The Brandi Law Firm alleges;
“In the late 2000s, Volkswagen introduced a diesel engine that advertised itself as having the desired power and fuel economy while simultaneously meeting these stringent emission standards. Volkswagen advertised these models as “clean diesel” vehicles and charged more for this new technology. Unbeknownst to the consumer or any governmental body, these vehicles actually did not meet the CARB emission standards. Rather, they were equipped with a software “defeat device” that was able to turn the emission controls on or off, depending on whether the vehicle was being driven or undergoing an emissions test.”
As a result, the “CleanDiesel” vehicles emit nitrogen oxides at levels up to 40 times higher than legal limits during normal use. Many of the people who bought these vehicles did so to provide safe transportation that did not harm the environment. Now they have vehicles spewing environmental damage and are virtually valueless.
The company admits there were 11 million vehicles worldwide fitted with the device including 5 million VW brand cars, 2.1 million Audis and 1.2 million Skodas. Reportedly 482,000 of the affected VW’s are in America. According to the EPA, Volkswagen installed its deceptive software, called a “defeat device,” in at least the following diesel models of its vehicles: Jetta (model years 2009 – 2015), Beetle (model years 2009 – 2015), Audi A3 (model years 2009 – 2015), Golf (model years 2009 – 2015), and Passat (model years 2012 – 2015).
A number of people have contacted The Brandi Law Firm in and out of California and we are seeking information from any affected owner. If you wish more information, contact Tom Brandi ([email protected]) or Casey Kaufman ([email protected]).
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