Dieselgate, how was it again? In 2015 it came to light that Volkswagen had messed things up for years. Hidden in their diesel models was a piece of software that could detect when a car was tested on a dynamometer and then switched the engine to a clean program. In this way, Volkswagen fooled the authorities.
The European Court of Justice already decided at the end of last year that Volkswagen was wrong. That judgment opens the vault door wide open for owners of cheat diesels to claim damages.
Compensation: return the amount of money or car
Now it is the turn of the Dutch Volkswagen drivers to cash in. The case was brought by Stichting Car Claim and is brought against Volkswagen, the Dutch importer Pon and software supplier Bosch. The foundation says more than 180,000 motorists have joined the mass claim. We did not know that so many people drive a cheat diesel from Audi, Seat, Skoda or Volkswagen.
“What are the Dutch victims entitled to?”
What are the Dutch victims entitled to? According to the foundation, it can range from compensation to the right to return the car to the dealer and get the purchase price back. We think back to an earlier settlement that Volkswagen has reached with 240,000 customers, who together received 750 million euros. That amounted to EUR 1350 to EUR 6250 per person.
According to nu.nl, the court has set aside three days for the substantive handling of the case. The verdict will probably follow later this year.