I’ve been campaigning for the UK Government to take serious action against the manufacturers of diesel engines that used cheat devices to pass emissions tests. We’ve got almost 2,000 signatures so far, all we’re asking for is for the UK Government to take similar action as the US, Australian, Canadan, German and South Korean Governments have already taken. The Dieselgate scandal affected diesel cars produced between 2008 and 2020.
The reason for using cheat devices was that it was more expensive for the manufacturers to actually create engines that met the low emissions legally required, so they used either hardward or software (different for each manufacturer) to cheat the tests, allowing the engines to pass examination but would then emit an average of 2.2x the legal amount of emissions. This has obviously caused some serious environmental damage, but a recent report has highlighted the actual numbers.
The ClientEarth Report – 124,000 deaths and 98,000 cases of child asthma
In May, ClientEarth published a report that showcases the significant health impacts of the illegal activities of these manufacturers. The report found that between 2009 and 2024, the excess emissions across the UK and Europe from these engines caused an estimated:
- 124,000 premature deaths
- 98,000 new cases of asthma in children
- 25,000 years lived with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- 15,000,000 sick days
The numbers are insane. 15,000,000 sick days?! 124,000 deaths!! All for a little extra profit for the billionaires that own these companies. In America, Volkeswagen alone have been charged around $14.7bn in fines from the government. In Germany, Volkeswagen were fined €1bn. South Korea fined Mercedes-Benz the equivalent of $17m and Australia fined Volkeswagen A$125m. And yet, there has been no action taken by the UK Government.
How much has the economy been impacted by 15,000,000 sick days – 15 MILLION! That’s like taking 57,000 people out of work for an entire year but still paying their salaries.
According to the ClientEarth report, this has had an impact of around €760bn so far, with an expected additional €430bn impact by 2030 and an additional 81,000 premature deaths to be expected.
Which Manufacturers are to Blame?
There are 20 brands from 11 manufacturers that are being accused of using the illegal cheat devices. These include:
- BWM
- Ford
- Hyundai & Kia
- Jaguar Land Rover
- Mercedes
- Nissan
- Renault
- Stallantis (which is the owner of Citreon, DS, Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall)
- Volvo
- VW
What can you do if you owned one of these cars?
If you have ever owned on of the makes listed above, with a license that was registered between 2008 and 2020, then you might be entitled to compensation.
The UK Government hasn’t done anything yet, but there are court cases being progressed in the UK, suing these companies for compensation for anyone that has owned these cars. Over 1.2 million people in the UK have joined claims against 16 manufacturing groups. The lawsuits are huge, with expected payouts to be around the £10,000 mark, although this will depend on which car you owned and how long you owned it. If you’ve had multiple diesel cars that match the criteria, then you can join a claim with each car. To check if your car is eligible, use the button below.
The next legal case will be going to court in October this year, where Ford, Mercedes, Nissan, Renault and Stallantis (Citreon, DS, Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall) are all being sued simultaneously.
When the Dieselgate scandal hit the news, Volkeswagen EVENTUALLY came out and admitted to using the cheat devices in 11 millions vehicles. In the UK, Volkeswagon were being sued back in 2021, but they ended up taking a plea deal in 2022, paying £193m in compensation to 90,000 people who were suing them. This worked out to around £2,100 per claimant, which is actually a very good deal for Volkeswagon as they should have paid far closed to £10,000 per person.
It is expected that the compensation payouts for the 1.2million people that are suing in October 2025 will be around 5 times higher than that paid by VW in 2022.
Richard Winstone
The Regulator Guy.
