WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Charging that Volkswagen Group of America knowingly misled its customers by selling "clean diesel" cars containing software programs designed to cheat on U.S. emissions tests, owners of the affected vehicles filed a class action lawsuit in federal court against the U.S. arm of the German automaker. Represented by Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, the car owners seek damages for fixes that will likely reduce fuel economy and performance and lower their vehicles' resale value.
The lawsuit, filed on Sept. 25 in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria, came a week after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accused Volkswagen of illegally installing software designed to cheat emissions standards in nearly half a million of its Volkswagen and Audi TDI (Turbocharged Direct Injection) vehicles. Rigged to register lower emissions numbers on tests, the cars actually released up to 40 times more pollutants during ordinary use.
"These engines were marketed as better for the environment, and also high-performance," said Andrew N. Friedman, co-chair of Cohen Milstein Sellers's Consumer Protection group. "But customers did not get what they bargained for. They will now have to await a fix from Volkswagen – and once the software is corrected, fuel economy and performance are both likely to be reduced. This will lower the car's resale value."
The lawsuit was brought by plaintiffs in New York and Florida on behalf of a class of VW owners similarly affected in New York, Florida and nationwide. Both plaintiffs stated they would not have bought the vehicles had they known about the emissions-cheating software.
Affected vehicles include, but may not be limited to:
- VW Jettas with diesel engines (model years 2009 to 2015)
- VW Jetta SportWagen TDIs with diesel engines (model years 2009 to 2014)
- VW Beetles with diesel engines (model years 2012 to 2015)
- VW Beetle Convertibles with diesel engines (model years 2013 to 2015)
- VW Golfs with diesel engines (model years 2010 to 2015)
- VW Golf SportWagen TDIs with diesel engines (model year 2015)
- VW Passats with diesel engines (model years 2012 to 2015)
- Audi A3s with diesel engines (model years 2010 to 2015).
In the wake of the EPA accusations, the U.S. House Oversight and Investigations subcommittee announced it will hold a hearing on Volkswagen's issues with diesel cars sold in the U.S. from 2008 to 2015, and Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned. In his Sept. 24 resignation letter posted on the company's website, Winterkorn stated: "I am shocked by the events of the past few days. Above all, I am stunned that misconduct on such a scale was possible in the Volkswagen Group."
In addition to Andrew Friedman, the plaintiffs are represented by Steven J. Toll, Theodore J. Leopold, Douglas J. McNamara, and Sally M. Handmaker, all of Cohen Milstein.
A leader in consumer protection and product liability issues, Cohen Milstein has brought high-profile product safety and liability cases against General Motors, Ford, Honda, and Takata. Cohen Milstein also is co-lead counsel in a lawsuit against Caterpillar concerning that company's misrepresentations about its heavy-duty diesel engines.
For more information about the case against Volkswagen Group of America, visit http://www.cohenmilstein.com/news.php?NewsID=801.
Founded in 1969, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC is a national leader in plaintiff class action lawsuits and litigation. As one of the premier firms in the country handling major complex cases, including consumer protection and product liability issues, Cohen Milstein, with over 80 attorneys, has offices in Washington, D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and Denver, Colo. For more information, visit http://www.cohenmilstein.com or call (202) 408-4600.
EDITORS' NOTE: Copy of the complaint available