Hagens Berman: GM Latest Automaker Hit by Diesel Emissions Lawsuits, Chevy Cruze Owners Sue
June 22 2016 - 12:32PM
Business Wire
Class-action lawsuit says Chevy Cruze owners
unknowingly bought dirty diesel cars in latest round of
Dieselgate
Owners of Chevy Cruze Turbo Diesel vehicles nationwide filed a
lawsuit against Chevrolet (a division of General Motors) for
allegedly duping thousands of car owners into paying higher prices
for vehicles that pollute at illegally high levels and using
emissions-cheating software similar to what Volkswagen was found
guilty of implementing, according to Hagens Berman.
Vehicle owners allege that the Cruze model is affected by
unlawful, unfair, deceptive and otherwise defective emission
controls utilized by GM. According to the lawsuit filed in the U.S.
District Court for the Central District of California, GM marketed
the Cruze diesel as “a Clean Diesel” that had emissions below U.S.
environmental standards and charged an additional $2,000 or more
compared to the gasoline model, but misled the public and sought to
evade emissions testing.
Hagens Berman’s automotive litigation team represents consumers
as a member of the court-appointed Executive Committee in the
Dieselgate case against Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche as well and as
lead counsel in a similar case brought against Mercedes for using
“defeat device” software to cheat emissions tests.
If you own or lease a Chevy Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel, you may be
entitled to compensation. Hagens Berman has achieved the largest
automotive settlement in history, and seeks to represent Chevy
Cruze owners against GM. Find out more about the lawsuit. Hagens
Berman is one of the lead counsel in the GM ignition switch
litigation.
Chevy Cruze owners can also read the firm’s Chevy Cruze
litigation FAQ to learn more about the lawsuit.
“Diesel emissions fraud didn’t stop with Volkswagen or Mercedes
– GM has proven that it too placed greed and profits ahead of
thousands of owners who paid premium prices for what they thought
were clean diesel cars,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of
Hagens Berman.
The complaint states that recently, a German environmental group
issued a report indicating that GM’s Opel model uses a device to
sense when a vehicle is undergoing emissions testing but that in
normal driving conditions, the Opel emits oxides of nitrogen (NOx)
at levels that far exceed European emissions standards.
NOx contributes to ground-level ozone and fine particulate
matter, and exposure to ozone and particulate matter have also been
associated with premature death due to respiratory-related or
cardiovascular-related effects. According to the EPA, “Exposure to
these pollutants has been linked with a range of serious health
effects, including increased asthma attacks and other respiratory
illnesses that can be serious enough to send people to the
hospital.”
The complaint states, “In order to appeal to environmentally
conscious consumers, GM marketed its Cruze diesel technology as a
process that ensured emissions resulted in a ‘clean diesel’ and
that its emissions were ‘below strict U.S. environmental
standards.’ These representations are deceptive and false.”
Plaintiffs have tested the Cruze using a Portable Emissions
Measurement System (“PEMS”). Testing revealed that the Cruze fails
to meet U.S. emissions standards as promised. The U.S. standard is
70 mg/mile.
- In highway driving the Cruze averaged
128 mg/mile with a high of 557 mg/mile.
- At speeds over 70 mph, the average was
231 mg/mile – 1.8 to 8 times the federal standard.
- At stop-and-go driving the average was
182 mg/mile with a maximum of 689 mg/mile – 3.6 to 13.8 times the
federal standard.
- When tested at temperatures below 50ºF,
the NOx was 689 mg/mile and it appears the emissions control system
stops working.
- The same is true at temperatures over
85ºF, where NOx rates were tested and ran at 450 to 550
mg/mile.
The lawsuit seeks buyback, reimbursement for vehicle owners for
the premium that they paid for a Clean Turbo Diesel as well as
compensation based on any “fix” and extended warranties that will
go unused. In addition, attorneys seek punitive damages for GM’s
fraud.
Learn more about the Chevy Cruze diesel emissions lawsuit
against GM.
About Hagens Berman
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is a consumer-rights
class-action law firm with offices in 10 cities. The firm has been
named to the National Law Journal’s Plaintiffs’ Hot List eight
times. More about the law firm and its successes can be found
at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news
at @ClassActionLaw.
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Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLPAshley Klann,
206-268-9363ashleyk@hbsslaw.com
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