As Volkswagen admits to fitting its diesel vehicles with software that allows them to pass emissions tests, over 230 federal class action lawsuits have been filed against the automobile manufacturer. The California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed the problem last month and the first lawsuit was filed hours later in a San Francisco court.
The lawsuit accuses the company of misleading customers by selling automobiles that are supposedly environmentally friendly but were actually emitting as much as 40 times the legally allowed amount of nitrogen oxide. Legal experts expect the cases to be consolidated before a single judge and Volkswagen could face possible criminal charges and a federal probe. The company faces potential criminal, civil, and regulatory enforcement in other countries as well. Continue reading