Volkswagen to refund billions to consumers over false ‘clean diesel’ claims

The FTC has just announced a partial settlement with Volkswagen Group of America, which will return up to $10 billion to owners and lessees of Volkswagen and Audi 2.0-liter diesel vehicles. As the largest false advertising case in the FTC’s history, this is a record-breaking victory for consumers and consistent with the unlawful nature of the deceptive conduct alleged by the FTC in its lawsuit against Volkswagen.

“Clean diesel” is the focus of a massive marketing campaign by Volkswagen to promote its cars as an attractive option for environmentally conscious car buyers. But according to the FTC, Volkswagen obtained those emissions figures by installing a “defeat device” in each vehicle that cheated the tests.

In a related partial settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and California’s attorney general, Volkswagen will spend an additional $4.7 billion to mitigate pollution and invest in increasing the use of zero-emission vehicles. This part of the case stems from allegations by the EPA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that Volkswagen violated the Clean Air Act and the California Health and Safety Act.

What will affected VW and Audi owners and lessees receive under the settlement? They will have their own choices:

1. Buyback or early termination of lease requires additional cash payment; or
2. If approved by the EPA and CARB, modify their car to improve emissions and pay cash. (Some former owners and lessees may also be eligible for cash payments.)

Now, consumers can use these charts to estimate How much will they get:

These factors also affect salary:

Owners and lessees should visit VWCourtSettlement.com, enter the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to see if their car is eligible, and bookmark the site for updates.

After the court approves the settlement, Volkswagen and attorneys representing owners and lessees will mail information packages to eligible consumers.The exact amount of each buyback will depend on factors such as model, year, style, mileage and options, but will be available to consumers more Price higher than the car’s current value to compensate for Volkswagen’s false advertising. Those who choose to modify will also receive compensation.

If your customers own an affected car, they don’t have to make a decision now. But they should watch for large envelopes in the mail and visit VWCourtSettlement.com regularly for the latest information. Consumers can also call 844-98-CLAIM.

With settlements totaling billions of dollars, it’s hard to think of a case that sends a more important overall message to advertisers, but we think there is one message: Companies owe consumers the truth. The FTC will use the legal tools at its disposal and will work with federal and state agencies and agencies representing individual consumers to ensure that advertisers meet this obligation.

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