Please note
We are no longer accepting new enquiries for this claim.
If you are an existing claimant, please email emissions@bondturner.com
NOx Diesel Emissions Group Litigation Update – August 2025
We are pleased to provide you with an important update on your NOx emissions claim as we edge closer to the seminal trial on liability, which will begin in two months’ time.
Key Progress Since Our Last Update
Last month, during an interim hearing, the claimants’ legal team successfully challenged the Defendants’ extensive redactions (censoring parts of text) of crucial documents. The Defendants had argued that these redactions were necessary to protect their trade secrets, but the Judge disagreed, stating there was “no proper justification” for withholding such information. The Judge further noted that the content was “so central” to the case that proceeding with redactions would have made the trial unworkable. We feel that this outcome significantly strengthens your position and removes major logistical hurdles.
Preparing for the October 2025 Trial on Liability
We are now in the final stages of trial preparation, including finalising the procedural directions for how the Trial – 10 weeks commencing on 13 October 2025 and a further 3 weeks after Christmas – will be conducted (i.e. when expert witnesses will be heard etc.). Once the trial concludes and the Judge delivers their judgment, we will provide you with a comprehensive update on the next steps and how this affects your claim.
What’s next?
As mentioned in our March update, we remain hopeful that the Defendants may enter settlement discussions ahead of the trial. It is not uncommon for settlements to be reached even moments before a trial begins. The recent success regarding the document disclosure has only increased our optimism, but of course, it remains up to the Defendants as to whether they see it in a similar way and/or wish to go ahead with the trial regardless.
If you have any questions in relation to the above update or you require any additional assistance with your claim, please don’t hesitate to contact us at emissions@bondturner.com or speak to a member of our Emissions Team on 0151 243 1037.
March 2025 Update
Since our last update to you in November significant progress has been made on your NOx emissions claim which we have summarised for you below.
Vehicle Testing and Testing Results
Ahead of the October 2025 trial on liability, sample vehicles were selected by both the Claimant and the Defendant representatives across various manufacturers involved in the NOx Emissions Group Litigation for the purpose of undergoing testing. These vehicles were subsequently inspected by expert mechanics and software analysists with the primary purpose of determining the presence (or absence) of the alleged Emissions Cheat Devices (Prohibited Defeat Devices or “PDDs”). We are pleased to confirm that these investigations were positive, and they do evidence what we believe to be multiple PDDs in each of the sample vehicles selected.
Subsequently we served our positive findings on the Defendants in the form of Individual Particulars of Claim (“IPOC”) which were sent in December 2024. We are currently receiving the Defendants individual Defences to each of these IPOC’s and we will update you again about this in due course. However to briefly summarise, the defences received so far have indicated the Defendants’ main defence is that they believe that the Defeat Devices were not prohibited and were lawful under the European Regulations in place at the time. We do not agree.
Whilst we still have further tests to undertake, we are certain that a strong case is being advanced, and we are all- the-more confident as we move towards the October 2025 trial.
March 2025 CMC (Case Management Conference)
All parties also attended another CMC court hearing earlier this month to schedule the agenda for the next stages of the claim and set out certain deadlines for tasks to be completed by each of the parties ahead of the liability trial in October. This included the disclosure of certain documents by the Defendants, further testing of the sample vehicles by experts and issues of the confidentiality of the details included in the documents and evidence.
What’s next? – Bank Details and Verification
Now the Defendants have seen our IPOCs and initial testing results, we are hopeful that the Defendants will agree to enter into settlement negotiations agenda ahead of the October 2025 Trial. Therefore, we want to let you know that we will be reaching out to you in the near future in relation to the collection and verification of your bank details. These details are required to allow us to process payment of any potential settlement monies in your claim, as efficiently and securely as possible. Whilst we cannot promise your case will settle, it is far better to be prepared in the event your case does successfully conclude. Full details of how we will protect your details and other data we hold about you are detailed in the Privacy Policy section of your initial retainer paperwork.
Insight into the Diesel Emissions Claims
In 2015, news broke that Volkswagen were using software in their engine management systems to evade European Emission Standards in several of their diesel engine vehicles. Coverage of this story was extensive at the time, being coined as the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal. Subsequently, several other high-profile vehicle manufacturers were also implicated, and this has spread to the majority of main-stream vehicle manufacturers.
It is alleged that this software purposely made diesel engines appear more environmentally friendly and less polluting then they actually were – Specifically: that the software manipulated the NOx (a combination of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide) to lower the levels of emissions when vehicles were in test conditions that meant that they were able to obtain certification of compliance with emissions regulations; however in normal everyday use, the vehicle emissions did not comply with the Regulations (and therefore did not meet legal requirements to be on the road).
These regulations were in place as NOx is an extremely harmful pollutant associated with, amongst other things: acid rain, greenhouse gasses, and asthma (particularly affecting children).
We believe that these global multi-billion-pound corporations should be held to account for lying to their customers about how ‘green’ their vehicles were and deliberately flouting the laws which had been enacted specifically to protect both the environment and public health. We say this deceitful behaviour was deliberately engaged in to generate greater profits at the expense of the customer, as well as adding to the detriment of our environment and personal health.
In 2019 Bond Turner incepted the Group Litigation Department, a team of specialist lawyers with a view to bringing proceedings against those manufacturers we allege were involved in Dieselgate. To-date we have worked tirelessly to bring justice to those affected and to obtain the compensation our claimants deserve.
For more information please read our FAQs:
For a vehicle to be registered, sold and driven in the UK, amongst other things, it must comply with the exhaust emissions limits as set out in Europe-wide Emissions Regulations.
One of the most harmful of the emissions is NOx, which is a combination of Nitrogen Oxide and Nitrogen Dioxide; both of which are pollutants associated with, amongst other things, acid rain and childhood asthma. NOx is harmful to humans and the environment, which is why its emissions are controlled and regulated.
In these claims, we allege that various vehicle manufacturers fitted ‘defeat devices’ (in the form of specialist engine-management software), to certain vehicle models which manipulated the emissions control system to operate during Regulatory testing; but to shut-off and/or reduce NOx cleaning during everyday use.
This allowed these engines to pass official European Emissions Tests, despite their NOx emissions in the real world being much higher than the emissions limits provided for in the Emissions Regulations.
As a consequence, consumers were misled into thinking that the vehicles they acquired were much less harmful to the environment than they actually were, allowing manufacturers to charge more for their sale.
The claims allege that manufacturers deceitfully and fraudulently represented that the affected vehicles were better for the environment than they actually were, and; that they complied with all the relevant laws and Regulations, when they did not, and; that they did not contain prohibited ‘defeat devices’. – all to gain an unlawful advantage.
As well as deceit, it is also alleged that they breached the terms of the sale and/or lease contract with their customers, on the basis the vehicles were not “fit for purpose”(as they were not sold as described), and that they breached EU regulatory law and consumer protection laws.
That is not for us to say, and is not something that has been commented on by any of the vehicle manufacturers.
However, in order to produce diesel engines that have desirable power characteristics and fuel economy, whilst maintaining low enough levels of emissions so as to meet the stringent European Emissions Standards, it is alleged that various techniques were used to reduce the amount of harmful NOx found in the vehicles’ emissions, including Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and AdBlue technology.
EGR, as the name suggests, is the recirculation of exhaust gases to re-burn them in the engine in order to reduce the amount of NOx that is discharged. This process does however produce more soot that has to be cleaned out of the exhaust.
AdBlue is injected into the engine’s exhaust gases and, in the resulting chemical reaction, the NOx in the exhaust is converted into harmless nitrogen and water vapour.
However, whilst both of these techniques reduce NOx emissions, they each come at a cost in relation to the engine’s performance and fuel economy.
Claims such as this are complex in nature as they involve a global corporation with a financial interest to fight against the allegations.
However, strength in numbers allows consumers to band together under the law to challenge the illegal acts and/or omissions of the global corporation – in this case, to claim compensation for being deceived and for any losses they have suffered as a result of the deception.
Because the basic allegations of wrong-doing are the same for every claim, these issues can be argued once, and then applied to every claim. This is called Group Litigation. It means that the considerable expense of arguing the case once can be shared between all of the Claimants.
The process involves expert evidence, procedural challenges, and multiple court hearings. It is common for these types of cases to take several years to conclude.
In the meantime, individual Claimants will still need to provide to their solicitors all relevant information and/or documentation in relation to their vehicle, so that their case can be properly investigated, progressed, and ultimately valued on its own circumstances.
In the event of a successful case, it is likely that a compensation scheme could be negotiated between the parties. Once approved, each consumer who has brought a claim against the manufacturer (and become a Claimant), will have their cases assessed and valued based on the information and evidence provided.
Yes. If you purchased an affected vehicle in Scotland or Northern Ireland you will need to take advice from a solicitor in that jurisdiction to see if you can join any legal proceedings there.
No. You can have sold, or sell your vehicle at any time in the future, and still maintain your claim.
We will require your personal details (including your address and Date of Birth) and we may also need you to provide us with evidence of your identity in the form of a copy of your Driving License, Passport, or a utility bill and/or bank statement issued within the past 3 months.
Ideally, we will require proof that you purchased, financed and/or leased an affected vehicle in England or Wales, between 2008 and 2018.
The evidence we will require may be in the form of any one of the below documents:
- V5 or other DVLA document
- Purchase invoice
- Finance or lease agreement
- Receipt of sale
- A recall letter issued by the manufacturer
- MOT Test Certificate/ servicing record
- Certificate of Insurance
- P11D Benefit Statement
- Vehicle brochure or other sales literature
There may also be a need for you to provide other supporting documents required for the purposes of litigation, to prove the financial loss you have suffered. If and when this need arises, we will contact you.
Don’t worry, many people no longer have access to all the documents required and, with this in mind, we have processes in place to collect the information from other available sources. However, it is by no means guaranteed that we will successfully get the necessary documents from these sources. We would remind you that the onus is on you, as the Claimant, to establish and prove your claim. Therefore, the more documentation you are able to provide to us; the better we will be able to assist you and the greater prospect you have in being successful with your claim.
We currently represent thousands of Claimants in actions against a number of different diesel vehicle manufacturers (claims which arise out of similar facts), and we are committed to ensuring all parties affected by the ‘emission scandal’ are compensated.
We will look to utilise our vast civil litigation experience, together with our experience of larger corporate entities and group actions, to ensure we best represent our clients throughout their claims process.
As a successful claimant law firm, we have sufficient resources and, we have secured insurance cover, which enables us to proceed with any individual’s claim on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis.
We will pursue your claim on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ agreement. To that end, if we don’t win your case, (and you keep to the terms of the agreement entered) you won’t be charged.
We will put an After-The-Event (ATE) Insurance policy in place to protect you from being liable for your opponent’s legal costs should your claim be unsuccessful. The cost of the ATE insurance premium is a cost that we bear in the event your claim is unsuccessful.
In any UK litigation there is a risk of the loser having to pay towards the winner’s costs. This ATE insurance covers those costs and therefore protects you in the unlikely event this should happen.
If you do win, some of our charges will be paid by the Defendant to your claim and some by you – up to 50% of your proportionate share of compensation. You will also have to pay the cost of the ATE Insurance premium out of part of the damages you receive.
If we lose the claim, we will not charge you for our time or the costs we have incurred on your behalf provided you keep to the terms of the agreement.
Financial compensation for you – We allege that you are entitled to damages for being misled. You are also likely to have paid a higher price for your vehicle and/or the resale value could be less.
For the environment – Vehicle manufacturers should not be allowed to profit from being untruthful and should be held to account for their actions. We all have a responsibility to protect the environment and vehicles that emit excessive levels of noxious substances that are harmful to the environment and to health, that affects us all.
Accountability – Any company or organisation that has misled its customers should be held to account for their actions and pay any subsequent penalties. Big businesses have powerful brands that people trust, and this trust is often the reason consumers make decisions to purchase a product. Companies cannot be allowed to abuse this trust to increase their profits, and actions like this will, we hope, act as a deterrent for other companies.
At this stage, it is difficult to predict the amount of compensation you will receive in the event the claim is successful. The amount you would receive is dependent on a variety of factors (including: the purchase price; age of the vehicle; model; and specific characteristics of your vehicle).
The amount of damages that are awarded will ultimately be determined by the Court or negotiated between the parties.
You can only pursue a single claim in respect of each affected vehicle that you own, you must therefore choose your legal representative prior to the filing of any claim at Court.
Claims will be checked against one another and if you are found to have instructed more than one set of solicitors in respect of the same vehicle, you may have to pay one of those solicitors’ costs, as well as the costs of the opponents, out of your own pocket.