The Feds Are Suing Volkswagen for Violating the Clean Air Act
The U.S. Justice Department has filed a civil lawsuit against Volkswagen for its diesel scandal.
The government is alleging that Volkswagen violated the Clean Air Act by installing illegal devices that impaired emission control systems in nearly 600,000 vehicles. The allegations in the lawsuit could result in billions of dollars in fines with the Justice Department accusing the German automaker of four counts of violating the U.S. Clean Air Act, including tampering with the emissions control system and failing to report violations.
The lawsuit is being filed in the Eastern District of Michigan before it is transferred to Northern California, where class-action lawsuits against Volkswagen are currently pending.
SEE ALSO: Volkswagen Gets European Approval for Diesel Fix
Since Volkswagen admitted to cheating on EPA diesel emissions tests last September, the Justice Department has been investigating Volkswagen for misleading U.S. consumers and regulators. The civil lawsuit does not preclude the Justice Department from also pursuing criminal charges against the automaker.
“The United States will pursue all appropriate remedies against Volkswagen to redress the violations of our nation’s clean air laws,” said Assistant Attorney General John Cruden of the environment and natural resources division at the Justice Department.
[Source: CNBC]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Not sure if VW will just accept Billions of Dollars in fines without passing it along to VW and AUDI and Porsche consumers.
And so many people thought this scandal was overblown and had begun to subside. This is only the beginning, since the affected cars aren't yet fixed either. The "pass along" will occur when VAG has to sell off brands/divisions to pay for the mess.