VW dealer sues automaker over diesel emissions

The Chattanooga built VW Passat TDI is seen in this file photo.
The Chattanooga built VW Passat TDI is seen in this file photo.

An owner of three Volkswagen dealerships on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the carmaker over its rigged diesel vehicles, seeking compensation for lost sales suffered by its more than 600 dealers in the United States, according to The New York Times.

It is a rare affront to an automaker by its dealers, who tend to be wary of taking legal action for fear of tarnishing the brands on which their sales depend. That dealers are doing so reflects the extent of Volkswagen's deception and the falloff in car sales that followed.

Volkswagen last year revealed it had equipped almost 600,000 cars sold in the United States with "defeat device" software to cheat on tailpipe emissions tests while spewing far more pollutants than allowed in real-world driving. Since the scandal erupted, Volkswagen has been forced to stop selling most of it diesel models, leaving dealers with cars languishing on the lots.

The suit was filed in United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, with the intention of becoming a class-action suit.

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