FTC Accuses Volkswagen of Deceiving Consumers With “Clean Diesel” Ads

As if Volkswagen weren’t already in enough trouble, the Federal Trade Commission has charged the automaker with duping customers through its ads promoting “clean diesel” vehicles.

The complaint, filed in federal court, accuses Volkswagen of selling diesel cars based on false claims. These claims, according to the FTC, include that the vehicles are environmentally friendly, maintain a high resale value, and comply with emissions standards. According to the agency, VW even claimed the diesels reduce nitrogen oxides by 90 percent.

The complaint says VW propagated these claims through a number of channels, including Super Bowl ads, social media, and print advertising. Now, the government seeks payback for consumers who bought or leased these cars from late 2008 through late 2015.

“For years Volkswagen’s ads touted the company’s ‘Clean Diesel’ cars even though it now appears Volkswagen rigged the cars with devices designed to defeat emissions tests,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez in a statement released today. “Our lawsuit seeks compensation for the consumers who bought affected cars based on Volkswagen’s deceptive and unfair practices.”

Volkswagen has yet to present a solution for its rigged diesel cars, and missed a key deadline this month to offer regulators a fix. VW issued Goodwill packages to customers as a form of compensation, but many are still unsatisfied over resale values. Meanwhile, the automaker is also embroiled in over 500 U.S. civil lawsuits related to the diesel scandal.

Source: FTC

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