In the UK alone, an estimated 500,000 vehicles could benefit from considerable compensation due to the “dieselgate” scandal. If your company used diesel cars during the years 2008 and 2019, you could be eligible to claim.

What is the diesel emissions scandal?

If your company purchased a diesel car from BMW, Ford, Mercedes, Renault or Seat between 2008 and 2019, you could be entitled to a refund of up to £10,000 due to the “dieselgate” scandal of 2015.

The scandal refers to multiple car brands using a “defeat device” in their vehicles which hid just how many emissions were being emitted. Due to this deception, it is estimated that more than 500,000 cars imported into the UK were emitting more than 35 times the legal amount of noxious gases.

“Dieselgate”, as it became known, came to light after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discovered that certain vehicles from some of the world’s most popular brands had a fraudulent device installed which could alter the performance of carbon emissions, showing performance as better than it really was.

Subsequently, if your company purchased one of these cars during the relevant time period, you are likely eligible for compensation. 

Why might you be entitled to compensation?

If your company purchased a car from BMW, Ford, Mercedes, Renault or Seat between 2008 and 2019 you bought the car under false pretences as you would not have had the full information. 

Firstly, you would not have known about the defective device in the car meaning that you bought a flawed car without your knowledge. Not only that, you would have paid more than you should have considering that you were buying a flawed vehicle. In addition, you may have even had to pay more money in order to fix your car and adhere to emission standards. 

The logic behind the compensation claims is that by purchasing these vehicles you were unwillingly contributing to large-scale pollution due to a faulty vehicle.

Are you entitled to compensation?

If you meet certain criteria, your company could be eligible for a diesel claim (Source: TechRound) or receive compensation of anything between £100 to £10,000 depending on your personal situation with an average of £8,500 per claim. 

To be legally entitled to claim a diesel emissions refund, you will need to meet the following criteria:

• The vehicle must have been purchased between 2008 and 2019
• It must be a vehicle with a diesel engine
• You could have purchased it both new or second hand
• You do not still need to own the vehicle in question
• You might have paid extra to have the vehicle fixed in order to adhere to emissions standards
• You would not have purchased the car had you known about the flaw
• You still have the registration plate of the vehicle and your valid driver’s licence

Which car brands are you entitled to make a diesel emissions claim on?

The following cars were affected by the “dieselgate” scandal:

• Audi
• Mercedes
• Renault
• Seat
• Volkswagen

Other brands, such as Land Rover, Jaguar and Mini, have also been implicated as having similar technology in their diesel vehicles. If you were the owner of a diesel car during the relevant years and had to fix your car to meet carbon emissions standards, it may be worth pursuing a refund.

How much could your company get from a diesel emissions claim?

Claims will vary on a case-by-case basis but depending on your vehicle and the size of your claim, you could be entitled to anything from £100 to £10,000 for your diesel emissions refund.

Generally speaking, the more expensive your vehicle is, the larger you are entitled to claim. Similarly, if you spent more money on fixing your car in order to comply with emissions standards, you will be entitled to claim for more.

There are other relevant factors that will affect the size of your claim including whether your car was bought new or second-hand and whether or not you purchased the car knowing about the emission problems.

If you are a company who owned multiple cars with this problem, you could be owed hundreds or thousands of pounds in compensation claims.

When is the deadline for a diesel emissions claim?

Unfortunately the deadline for claiming a diesel emissions refund for certain brands, including volkswagen, has already passed and the final date was the 31st December 2021.

However, for other car brands there is no set deadline; this includes BMW, Ford, Mercedes and Renault vehicles. However, the longer you wait to make a claim, the smaller your compensation might be.

If you wait too long, you could risk missing out on claiming large amounts of compensation. Thus, if you are a company claiming for multiple vehicles, there is no time like the present to make a claim and potentially receive a large payout!

Once you submit a diesel emissions claim, you should get a response from the car manufacturer within about 4 weeks. In the majority of cases, manufacturers will want to avoid going to court meaning that they could try and give you a slightly smaller payout but can get you the money much quicker and with less stress.

In some cases, the process can be very long-winded taking up to five years. If the matter is taken to court, it typically can take much longer to get your money.

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