If you have owned a diesel Vauxhall in the UK in the past 10 years, you may be one of the car owners who were potentially lied to and led to believe that they purchased high-performing, emissions-compliant, and environmentally friendly vehicles. More than 600,000 Vauxhalls are reported to have been equipped with defeat devices that have been engineered to cheat regulatory emissions testing. As a result, an emissions claim case was brought against the carmaker.
Using academic studies carried out in Europe and the UK, as well as evidence provided by regulators and forensic analysis, law firms built their case against the carmakers. Car owners who leased or bought Vauxhall diesel vehicle models between the years 2009 and 2019 are the ones primarily affected by the scandal.
According to authorities, Vauxhall violated Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations when they marketed and sold their defeat device-equipped diesel vehicles as clean and environmentally safe. In reality, each Vauxhall diesel vehicle driven on UK roads released dangerous volumes of polluted air. Drivers who thought their cars and vans were emissions-compliant did not know that their vehicles were making the UK air dirtier.
Each affected customer can get anywhere between 25% and 75% of the total product value if they win their claim case.
Despite the detailed accusations, Vauxhall issued a statement denying them and said that their vehicles all followed emissions regulations.
A campaign against the carmaker has been organised and its goal is to bring a GLO or Group Litigation Order. This is similar to a class-action lawsuit in the United States where numerous cases are treated as one instead of as individual or separate claims.
Each affected driver can receive approximately £2,500. Vauxhall diesel models that were allegedly fitted with defeat devices include the Zafira, Corsa, and Astra. Although most customers paid a premium price for the vehicles, their performance indicated a lesser value.
What is the Dieselgate scandal?
The Dieselgate diesel emissions scandal first broke out in September 2015 when the Volkswagen Group was caught with defeat devices in their Audi and VW diesel vehicles that were sold in the US. Authorities from the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA and the California Air Resources Board ordered the carmaker to recall all affected vehicles. Additionally, the German carmaker was required to pay fines and fees.
What defeat devices do is bring down emissions levels once they sense that the vehicle is in regulatory testing. During the entirety of regulatory tests, the devices keep emission levels within the limits regulated by the World Health Organization (WHO). So, to authorities, the vehicle looks clean, safe, and ready for real-road driving. However, this only happens in testing conditions.
If the vehicle is taken out of the lab and driven in real-life road conditions, the vehicle releases high volumes of nitrogen oxide or NOx emissions, which has adverse effects on both human health and the environment. As such, if you are exposed to NOx emissions, you can suffer from various health conditions.
The Volkswagen Group is not the only carmaker involved in the diesel emissions scandal; there are many more. Some of the world’s most popular car brands – Renault, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz included – are also indicated in the diesel emissions scandal. Every year, a carmaker or two (or more) is added to the list as authorities continue to monitor road transport emissions.
One of the newest carmakers on the list is Vauxhall. The German Federal Transport Authority (KBA) found defeat devices designed to artificially control emissions tests. According to reports, around 600,000 vehicles in the UK sold in a span of 10 years may be affected. An estimated 500,000 diesel vehicles were recalled in the country in connection to the Vauxhall emissions scandal.
The dangers of defeat devices
Defeat devices allow vehicles to emit volumes upon volumes of nitrogen oxide emissions. NOx has devastating health and environmental impacts. Its main components are NO2 or nitrogen dioxide and NO or nitric oxide. These gases contribute to air pollution when they form acid rain and smog. NOx also produces ground-level ozone, a strong pollutant that weakens and damages plants, crops, and vegetation in general.
The life-changing, life-threatening effects of exposure to NOx emissions include:
- Frequent episodes of anxiety, pollution, and other mental health issues
- A decline in cognitive abilities that can lead to dementia
- Difficulty in breathing
- Fluid entering and filling the lungs
- Laryngospasm and asphyxiation
- Chronic reduction of lung function
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Early death
Hundreds of thousands of premature deaths around the world every year are linked to air pollution.
These dangerous impacts are the reasons why defeat devices are illegal, and these should be your motivation for bringing a diesel claim against your carmaker.
What is my diesel claim all about?
A diesel claim is a legal action that allows you to collect compensation from your carmaker – if you win the case. It can be a tedious and long process but emissions experts can help make everything simpler and more efficient.
However, before you can start your Vauxhall emissions claim process, you need to verify first if you are qualified to file one. Not all Vauxhall vehicles are affected by the defeat devices. It’s simple; all you need to do is visit Emissions.co.uk and get all the information you need so you can move forward with your claim. Start now.
