This case concerns allegations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as the State of California that German automaker Volkswagen AG and related entities cheated on vehicle emissions tests and deceived customers by installing defeat devices on 2009 through 2015 diesel vehicles. A settlement between the United States and the State of California and Volkswagen partially resolves the defeat device claims. A related settlement between the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Volkswagen resolves claims by the FTC that Volkswagen violated the FTC Act through the deceptive and unfair advertising and sale of its clean diesel vehicles. The settlements do not resolve pending claims for civil penalties or any claims concerning 3.0 liter diesel vehicles. Nor do they address any potential criminal liability.
The affected vehicles include 2009 through 2015 Volkswagen TDI diesel models of Jettas, Passats, Golfs and Beetles as well as the TDI Audi A3.
Volkswagen allegedly equipped its 2.0 liter diesel vehicles with illegal software that detects when the car is being tested for compliance with EPA or California emissions standards and turns on full emissions controls only during that testing process. During normal driving conditions, the software renders certain emission control systems inoperative, greatly increasing emissions. This is known as a ?defeat device.? Use of the defeat device results in cars that meet emissions standards in the laboratory, but emit har