More Bad News for Volkswagen

Company must buy back around 60K diesel cars from owners in Germany
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 25, 2020 8:24 AM CDT
VW Just Lost Another Major DieselGate Case
In this Monday, April 27, 2020. file photo, The Volkswagen logo stand on the top of a VW headquarters building in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is gradually launch the production at important plants after the corona lockdown.   (Swen Pfoertner/dpa via AP)

A German court ruled that Volkswagen must buy back cars from owners of its diesel cars equipped with software that evaded emissions testing—but consumers must accept the current value of the car based on the mileage they drove since buying it, not the purchase price. Volkswagen said the decision announced Monday would clear the way for settlement of remaining consumer claims in Germany. The decision affects some 60,000 individual claims brought by car owners there; around 262,000 others have already been covered by a $904 million class-action settlement. “For the majority of the 60,000 pending cases, this ruling provides clarity,” the company said in a statement. “Volkswagen is now seeking to bring these proceedings to a prompt conclusion in agreement with the plaintiffs. We will therefore approach the plaintiffs with the adequate settlement proposals. ... as quickly as possible.”

The case that was decided Monday involved a plaintiff who bought a Volkswagen Sharan model in 2014 that was equipped with the software that turned off emissions controls during testing, reports the AP. He had sought the full purchase price but the court ruled he must accept less due to depreciation related to the distance he drove. The individual case is expected to serve as a guideline for others. Volkswagen was caught cheating by US authorities in September 2015 and has since paid more than 33 billion euros in fines and settlements worldwide. Two executives went to prison in the United States and more are facing criminal proceedings and investigations in Germany. Volkswagen still faces lawsuits from investors.

(More Volkswagen stories.)

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