UK-based carmaker Vauxhall has become one of the latest additions to the list of manufacturers involved in the diesel emissions scandal. The KBA (German Federal Motor Transport Authority) allegedly found cheat software in Vauxhall diesel vehicles in 2018. Authorities estimate that around 600,000 affected vehicles are in the UK and were sold over a period of 10 years. All the affected vehicles sold in Germany were recalled as the KBA ordered.
The cheat software has been around for years, but it gained global attention after the Dieselgate scandal broke out in 2015.
More commonly known as a defeat device, the software reduces emissions levels after it senses that a vehicle is in the lab for regulatory testing. It keeps emissions lower than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) legal limits so the vehicle can pass the test and the carmaker can proceed to sell it. Like Volkswagen, the first carmaker to go against emissions standards, Vauxhall allegedly used an illegal technique in reducing emissions, one that holds true only while the vehicle is in testing conditions.
Once a vehicle equipped with a defeat device is back on real-world roads, it once again emits excessive amounts of nitrogen oxides. NOx harms the environment and can have life-threatening health impacts. It is also identified as one of the primary causes of thousands of early deaths every year in the UK.
Several Vauxhall diesel vehicles affected by the defeat devices allegedly include:
- Insignia
- Zafira Tourer
- Zafira
- Corsa
- Astra
- Mokka
- Cascada
- Movano
Only diesel-powered vehicles that were manufactured between the years 2008 and 2020 are affected.
What’s the diesel emissions scandal all about?
As already mentioned, the Dieselgate diesel emissions scandal erupted in 2015 – in September, to be exact. The Volkswagen Group’s US office drew the attention of the California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA allegedly found defeat devices inside VW and Audi diesel vehicles in the American automobile market. As a result, authorities sent the carmaker a notice of violation and mandated them to recall the hundreds of thousands of affected vehicles.
Volkswagen initially denied that they used cheat devices but officials later said that several of their diesel vehicles did manipulate emissions testing. The German manufacturer had to pay fines and fees. Over the years, they’ve also had compensation payoffs for affected drivers.
The VW Group also reached a settlement agreement with US authorities and drivers, as well as with England and Wales’ car owners. Volkswagen has spent approximately £26 billion in payoffs across the world.
After VW, US authorities called the attention of Mercedes-Benz and sent the carmaker a notice of violation. The carmaker allegedly installed defeat devices in their vehicles as well. Like VW, Mercedes also had to recall the affected vehicles.
As the diesel emissions scandal crossed over to the UK and Europe, and to other parts of the world, more and more carmakers became involved. Allegedly, some of these are the following:
- BMW
- Alfa Romeo
- Nissan
- Land Rover
- Škoda
- Peugeot
- Citroën
- Vauxhall
For authorities, these carmakers should be held responsible for lying and mis-selling to their customers. Additionally, with the amount of pollutants the affected vehicles release, they are putting drivers’ lives in danger. The pollutant the vehicles emit is called nitrogen oxide (NOx), a group of reactive gases that can destroy lives and damage the environment.
How are NOx emissions dangerous?
NOx emissions have two major components that cause adverse health and environmental impacts: nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Anyone exposed to NOx will be hounded by life-changing effects.
Aside from contributing to the formation of acid rain and smog, NOx can also produce ground-level ozone, a pollutant that can harm vegetation. Constant exposure to ground-level ozone weakens plants and crops.
The impacts on human health though, are more disturbing:
- Asthma
- Respiratory diseases that may lead to COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Pulmonary oedema
- Asphyxiation
- Chronic lung function reduction
- Certain cancers
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Premature death
All these health impacts will hound a person for life. This is why authorities are encouraging affected divers to bring their carmakers to court through a Vauxhall diesel claim. If the case is successful, drivers can receive compensation equivalent to the circumstances of their case.
Is it right to file my diesel claim?
It is your right as a car owner to file a case against your carmaker. Aside from lying to you about the vehicle’s performance and emissions compliance, they also subjected you to the dangers of NOx emissions. You can choose to file the case on your own or join a Group Litigation Order (GLO), which is similar to the Americans’ class-action lawsuit.
Before sitting down with an emissions expert to plan your diesel claim, you should verify first if you are eligible to receive compensation or if your vehicle is one of the thousands equipped with a defeat device. It’s a simple process: all you have to do is visit ClaimExperts.co.uk and gather all the information you need to determine if you can file a claims case.
Once verified, you can start processing your Vauxhall emission claim.
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