Thursday, 20th August 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 13th October 2025, 7:13 AM
A landmark trial involving five major carmakers has opened at London’s High Court on Monday, marking a significant new chapter in the dieselgate emissions scandal that has shaken the automotive industry for over a decade.
The three-month trial will determine whether systems installed in Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot-Citroën, Renault, and Nissan diesel vehicles were designed to cheat clean air regulations.
The outcome could set a precedent for other manufacturers, potentially leading to billions of pounds in compensation.
Claims have been filed on behalf of 1.6 million motorists against 14 carmakers, including Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota, Vauxhall-Opel, and BMW.
| Claimant/Representative | Comment |
| Martyn Day, Leigh Day (lawyer representing claimants) | “This case impacts nearly all manufacturers in this country… it is huge for the British public and could lead to serious amounts of compensation.” |
| Adam Kamenetzky, claimant | Bought a Mercedes SUV in 2018, felt “defrauded” believing it was less polluting. Lives in a built-up London area with children at risk from harmful emissions. |
The dieselgate scandal first erupted in September 2015, when Volkswagen admitted to installing software in millions of vehicles to falsely reduce emissions readings during regulatory testing.
The revelation caused global reverberations, implicating other top carmakers and triggering legal action worldwide.
The current trial centres on whether the five lead defendants installed so-called defeat devices that lowered nitrogen oxide readings under test conditions but allowed emissions to rise sharply in real-world driving.
“The vehicles looked less polluting during testing, but as soon as you were outside the testing regime, emissions went massively up,” said Martyn Day.
The five lead manufacturers deny the allegations, stating their vehicles complied with regulations:
| Manufacturer | Response |
| Mercedes | Claims have “no merit” |
| Ford | Claims have “no merit” |
| Nissan | Declined to comment |
| Renault | Vehicles were compliant at the time |
| Stellantis (Peugeot-Citroën parent) | Vehicles were compliant at the time |
Before any compensation can be paid, the court must first determine liability. If carmakers are found responsible, a separate compensation phase is expected next year.
Previously, the High Court in 2020 found Volkswagen had used defeat devices in the UK, leading to an out-of-court settlement of €193 million ($259 million) for 91,000 British motorists.
Globally, Volkswagen has now paid over €32 billion ($37 billion) in penalties, primarily in the United States.
Adam Kamenetzky commented: “We live in a neighbourhood where children’s lungs could be harmed immeasurably by the emissions these cars are producing.”
The UK dieselgate trial represents one of the largest automotive consumer claims in British history, with the potential to reshape accountability and compensation standards for carmakers across the industry.
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