Per previous GM Authority coverage, a lawsuit filed against General Motors over an alleged emissions defeat device installed in diesel-powered Chevy Cruze units was dismissed in July 2023. Now, it appears as though the case has been closed indefinitely.
According to a report from CarComplaints, a federal judge refused to reconsider an alleged $2.4 million settlement with Bosch in the aforementioned case because the lawsuit claims were replaced by the Clean Air Act, arguing that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other government agencies are in charge of emissions regulations.
“Defendant Bosch responds that there was no pending motion for preliminary approval of the settlement agreement at the time for this Court to address and that it terminated the settlement agreement according to the agreement’s terms, so there is nothing for this Court to consider,” Judge Thomas L. Ludington declared in a prepared statement.
It’s worth noting that the federal judge determined that a vehicle owner, attorney, judge or jury had no legal right to question Congress and federal agencies in regards to emissions regulations.
For reference, this lawsuit was deliberated in court for eight years, and alleged that 2014 and 2015 Chevy Cruze diesel units were equipped with illegal emissions defeat devices manufactured by Bosch. The plaintiffs claimed that they overpaid for their vehicle because The General and Bosch fooled them into purchasing these vehicles.
Interestingly, this entire debacle originated from the fallout of the massive Volkswagen emissions scandal, where the German-based automaker installed delete devices in diesel vehicles in order to cheat emissions testing. After VW’s verdict, U.S. attorneys began filing claims and lawsuits that several major automakers were cheating the EPA, and that their vehicles were emitting more pollutants than testing revealed.
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Comments
I want one of those.
As I understand it, the “defeat device” actually allowed the engine to provide better real-world performance in terms of fuel economy and power output at a lower cost for the vehicle owner. Sounds like a net benefit to me.
It was a nice car, with the 2.0l turbo diesel. Fast and powerful to slay steep hills and get over 50mpg on a flat highway. Sadly a tree fell on ours a couple weeks ago.