Public court records · Regulatory sources · Independently maintained Data as of: 2026-10-03 · Not legal advice
VerdictWiki Browse cases

Volkswagen Diesel Emissions (Dieselgate) Lawsuit

DE closed Last verified 2026-10-03

U.S. federal class actions and settlement…

Volkswagen’s "Dieselgate" is the largest automotive emissions scandal in history: U.S..

Overview

Volkswagen’s "Dieselgate" is the largest automotive emissions scandal in history: U.S. tests found "defeat device" software on roughly 500,000 U.S. diesel vehicles that cut emissions only during laboratory tests (per EPA and The Verge, 2015–2016). VW reached a $14.7 billion settlement in the U.S. (per VW and EPA, 2016; final approval per Consumer Reports, 2017), pleaded guilty in the U.S. with about $4.3 billion in combined criminal and civil penalties (per DOJ, 2018), and ran a German settlement program for owners of affected diesel vehicles of up to about $1.3 billion (per reporting, 2019). Globally, about 11 million diesel vehicles were affected (per reporting, 2015–2016). The main U.S. and German claims are resolved; the case remains a landmark for emissions litigation.

Status of the science / claims: Emissions tests documented NOx output far above limits when defeat-device software was active (per EPA, 2015–2016).

Companies involved

Volkswagen Group (defendant)
Official site ↗ Wikipedia ↗ Regulatory history & cases →

Settlement amounts

U.S.: $14.7 billion settlement (per VW/EPA, 2016; final approval per Consumer Reports, 2017). Germany: program up to about $1.3 billion (per reporting, 2019). Claims closed; no new payout is available or promised.

Figures above are as reported by the cited sources — not a promise of any individual outcome.

Last updated: 2019-09-16

Full breakdown: settlement amounts page →

Case count

500,000 cases as of June 1, 2016
MonthFiled casesΔ
Jun 1, 2016500,000—

Key dates

  1. September 16, 2019German settlement program for affected diesel owners, up to about $1.3 billion (per ABC News Australia and reporting)
  2. December 19, 2018VW pleads guilty; combined criminal and civil penalties of about $4.3 billion (per DOJ)
  3. April 21, 2017U.S. class action settlement wins final approval (per Consumer Reports)
  4. June 28, 2016$14.7 billion U.S. settlement agreement reached (per VW and EPA)
  5. February 1, 2016VW admits installing the software; about 500,000 U.S. diesel vehicles affected (per EPA and VW statements)
  6. September 18, 2015U.S. EPA announces the "defeat device" emissions findings on VW diesel vehicles (per EPA and The Verge)

Updates

  • Updated Oct 3, 2026New landmark case (Oct 2026, DE/US): Volkswagen Dieselgate — $14.7B US settlement (per Consumer Reports, 2016–2017); ~$4.3B US criminal/civil penalties (per DOJ, 2018); German program up to ~$1.3B (per reporting, 2019); ~11M vehicles worldwide (per reporting).

Last updated: today

Full changelog →

Notable filings

No notable filings recorded yet. Docket entries are added from public court records as they appear.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about this case record, answered from the public record.

What was the Volkswagen diesel settlement?

VW paid $14.7 billion in the U.S. (per VW and EPA, 2016; final approval per Consumer Reports, 2017) and ran a German program worth up to about $1.3 billion (per reporting, 2019).

How many cars were affected?

About 500,000 in the U.S. (per EPA, 2016) and about 11 million worldwide (per reporting, 2015–2016).

Can I still claim compensation?

The main U.S. and German claims are closed (per Consumer Reports and reporting). No new payout is available or promised.

Think this matters to you?

This page is neutral reference material — not legal advice. If you were affected, the next step is a free case review with a licensed attorney working this matter.

Start free case review →

By continuing you agree to our privacy policy. Your contact details are shared only with law firms working this matter, on request.