Our panel of expert dieselgate solicitors are investigating ongoing claims surrounding Mercedes-Benz over an alleged “cheat device” fitted on some of their vehicles in order to successfully reduce emissions to pass EU tests.
If you are one of the thousands of Mercedes drivers in the UK that may be affected, you could be entitled to thousands of pounds in Mercedes diesel compensation. Our expert panel of Mercedes Diesel Emission Solicitors can bring a claim for compensation for you and guide you through your next steps.
The claims that are now being brought to light are on behalf of those who lease or own Mercedes-Benz cars and vans, with the compensation potentially being thousands per vehicle.
The panel at ClaimExperts.co.uk believes that Mercedes has deliberately misled its customers in relation to the real levels of emissions their vehicles emit. If you owned or leased a Mercedes diesel car or van between 2010 and 2018, complete our free eligibility checker to find out if you can join the claim.
What Is the Mercedes Diesel Emissions Claim?
The Mercedes diesel emissions claim relates to the potential cheat software installed in Mercedes vehicles in order to mislead customers and regulators in relation to their emissions output.
In a similar vein to the ongoing VW emissions scandal, the ClaimExperts panel of solicitors are looking to bring claims against Mercedes on behalf of their customers. This is because they believe they deliberately misled their customers over the environmental performance of their vehicles by masking the actual emission levels of the cars.
Whereas VW’s scandal started back in 2015, noise of Mercedes-Benz’s misconduct first appeared in Germany in June 2018. The German Road Vehicle Authority, KBA, found that Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes, was using illegal software to alter diesel emissions in order to cheat EU emissions tests.
KBA ordered Mercedes to recall all affected vehicles in Germany, 280,000 vehicles. The German Courts also concluded that Daimler had been using a prohibited cheat device. This led to a further 700,000 vehicles around the world being recalled.
Allegations in the UK began to surface against Mercedes in May 2020. Now, the number of claimants raising their own concerns is rising every week, with estimates that 160,000 have shown an interest in claiming. Estimates suggest over a million could be eligible to claim.
The case against Mercedes in the UK is still ongoing, but the panel at ClaimExperts are confident that they have lied to their customers and believe compensation should be awarded.
What Is An Emissions Claim?
An emissions claim is a legal claim brought forward by a vehicle owner in relation to the deception of car manufacturers. It relates to certain car companies purposefully hiding their true emissions output by installing software called “defeat devices”.
The claim itself focuses on the fact that you, as a customer, were misled when choosing whether to purchase your car. Any claim of this nature will look to get compensation from the car manufacturer for this deceit, potential breaches of consumer protection laws, breaches of contract, and breaches of the Competition Act.
What Cars Are Affected By The Mercedes Emissions Scandal?
The cheating software in question has been found primarily in Mercedes cars and vans that contain a BlueTec diesel engine. You may be eligible to take legal action against Mercedes-Benz if:
- The car is manufactured by Mercedes-Benz;
- It has a BlueTec, diesel engine;
- Was made between 2008 – July 2018 (E-class from 2010, GLE from 2011)
- Was either bought outright or leased, either new or second hand
Tens of thousands of cars with BlueTec engines have now been recalled.
Is The Mercedes Diesel Claim Real?
Yes, the Mercedes diesel claim is real. Thousands of UK Mercedes owners have already signed up to claim compensation for Mercedes alleged installation of “defeat devices”. The claim itself is similar to the original Volkswagen Dieselgate claim, which is likely to conclude this year.
Similar legal action in the US has resulted in Mercedes-Benz paying out $700m (£508m) in a settlement with thousands of drivers.
In addition to this, the Volkswagen Group have recently paid UK customers £193 million, bringing even more legitimacy to the claim itself. You can read more about the very similar claim here.
How Much Will I Get For My Diesel Claim?
The Mercedes diesel compensation claim is still in its infancy, meaning it is a little hard to predict exactly how much compensation you could look to get. Having said this, looking at the recent US class-action lawsuit, we can see that US Mercedes owners received up to $3,290 per vehicle.
This could, however, be much more. Our panel of Mercedes emissions solicitors will be able to keep you updated as to how much you could look to recover.
A recent out-of-court settlement saw Volkswagen owners in the UK receive an average payout of more than £2,100. This was the first payout of its kind in the UK, and is set to pave the way for many others, including Mercedes owners.
Is There A Class-Action Lawsuit Against Mercedes-Benz?
Class action lawsuits are solely American legal proceedings. There was a lawsuit filed in USA against Daimler, Mercedes-Benz parent company, which saw it agreeing to pay $1.5bn (£1.2bn) to resolve US government claims that it had purposely fitted its diesel vehicles with software in order to cheat air pollution tests. Daimler also paid $700m to settle a class action lawsuit brought forward by Mercedes owners.
In the UK, a similar type of legal proceeding is a Group Litigation Order (GLO). This is an order of a court in England and Wales which permits a number of claims that have common or related issues to managed collectively. The Group Litigation Order for Mercedes diesel emission claims is currently open for people to join.
Why Is Mercedes Being Sued?
Mercedes are being sued for allegedly cheating their emissions tests by using software called “defeat devices”. This software would automatically switch on when being tested and, therefore, emit fewer emissions during the test. In real-world conditions, however, this software would switch off, meaning the emissions of the Mercedes vehicles are actually much higher than advertised.
They are now being sued in the UK for compensation for this potential deceit. Mercedes diesel emission claims look to reimburse their customers for this mis-representation, while also holding Mercedes to account for the toxic fumes that they have been emitted over the past decade.
What Is The Mercedes Recall For?
There have been various Mercedes recalls in the past few years, relating to safety, fire hazards, emergency call issues, door locks, and emissions. For emissions in particular, in 2017, Mercedes launched a voluntary recall for several hundred thousand diesel vehicles. This recall would provide a software update that would reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.
In addition to this, in Germany, the KBA discovered defeat devices and Mercedes were forced to recall 774,000 in June 2018. In October 2020, Mercedes added to their list of recalls in the UK, with more models being found to be using the cheating software in order to manipulate emissions testing.
What Has Mercedes Said About The Emissions Scandal?
So far, not too much. A Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes, spokesperson has dismissed the claims and says it will “vigorously defend” any group actions in a UK court. Daimler has said that they “believe that the claims are without merit”.
Claim Experts completely disagree and believe Mercedes has misled their customers, much like the VW case, where the vehicle manufacturer has lost a recent court case.
Why Should You Bring My Diesel Claim Forward Against Mercedes?
Many people ask why customers would claim against their vehicle manufacturer for “Dieselgate” type claims. We consider it is unacceptable for Mercedes to have sold vehicles which do not comply with emissions regulations, and improper for the company to have misled customers. We think the below reasons are enough to bring a claim.
Saving The Environment
The cheat device that has been fitted is intended to mislead a test for Nitrogen Oxide (NOx). NOx is a dangerous combination of pollutants which has been found to cause all sorts of environmental issues, such as global warming, acid rain, smog, and respiratory conditions such as asthma. The ClaimExperts panel believes car manufacturers need to learn to put environmental health before profits.
Corporate Accountability
Much like VW, Mercedes have denied their involvement in the scandal from the outset, even after the German Courts ruled against them. We believe it is vital that our panel hold Mercedes accountable for their lies.
Financial Reimbursement
The fix Mercedes applied to car may have had detrimental consequences to both the fuel consumption and performance of your vehicle, which might hurt your pocket in the long run. A study was carried out by Autocar on similar VW cheat devices that showed the cars do have a worse fuel economy after the fix. Clients who have been affected may have suffered damages because of it. If you have a valid claim you may be able to make a claim for compensation.
Saving Your Health
Saving the environment will, in turn, help our own health. Studies show that traffic pollution costs Europeans an estimated 60 million euros each year and can be put down to thousands of premature deaths each year. The pollutant NOx can also be a significant factor in illnesses like asthma, bronchitis, coughing and wheezing.
No Risk To You
The ClaimExperts panel of solicitors work on a No Win, No Fee basis. Bringing an emissions claim against Mercedes will not cost you anything if you are unsuccessful. If you win, you keep the majority of the compensation and their fee comes out of that.
How Long Will My Diesel Claim Take?
Because of their complex nature, diesel emission claims of this nature can take a relatively long time. Your claim will be part of a group litigation order, and if Mercedes deny any wrongdoing, a final outcome could take a couple of years.
Our expert panel of Mercedes emission claims solicitors will be able to keep you updated throughout your case and provide ongoing timelines.
What Is Happening With Mercedes Claim?
Currently, lawyers are gathering evidence and enough UK Mercedes customers to bring forward a Group Litigation Order. The Collective action against Mercedes was launched in the UK in May 2020. Mercedes customers are still being accepted onto this claim, with the investigations and evidence gathering still ongoing.
How Do I Claim My Mercedes Diesel Compensation?
As this claim is a collective claim against Mercedes, you will need to join the Group Litigation Order in order to proceed. You cannot file a personal claim against Mercedes, for example.
ClaimExperts.co.uk work with a panel of solicitors who can assist with this claim. In order to start, all you need to do is fill out our free eligibility form below.
How Do I begin My Diesel Claim?
To begin your Mercedes emissions claim, simply head over to our specific diesel emissions partner site, Emissions.co.uk. Here, you will find out eligibility checker, in particular for the currently open Mercedes Diesel Claim.