Friday 10th July 2026 marked the handing down of the liability judgment in the Prohibited Defeat Device (PDD) Trial, following the 3-week closing submissions hearing in March and the 10 weeks of evidence heard at the High Court last year.
The Court found that three vehicles, one Mercedes and two Peugeot/Citroen models, contained Prohibited Defeat Devices. Ford, Renault and Nissan were found not to have breached the Emissions Regulations.
The judgment also departed from key EU case law on how a defeat device is defined, creating a divergence between the legal position in England and Wales and much of Europe.
With 1.6 million claimants, this remains the largest, most complex group claim trial in English and Welsh legal history.
Permission to appeal is now being considered on behalf of the Claimants.
We shall keep you updated with any further developments as they arise.
19th March 2026 marked the final day of the 3-week closing submissions hearing for the Prohibited Defeat Device (PDD) Trial. This followed the 10 weeks of evidence at the High Court at the end of last year.
Over the past 3 weeks, both the Claimants and the car manufacturers have had the opportunity to present their final arguments and submissions to the Court.
With 1.6 million claimants, it is the largest, most complex group claim trial in English and Welsh legal history.
A liability judgment as to whether prohibited defeat devices are installed in the vehicles will be handed down by the Court in the Summer 2026.
We shall keep you updated with any further developments as they arise.
After an intense three-month trial (which took place between October 2025 and December 2025), the liability stage of the UK High Court “Dieselgate” group litigation is entering its final phase: closing submissions will be heard between 2 and 20 March 2026 at the Royal Courts of Justice.
The Pan-NOx / Prohibited Defeat Device liability trial – one of the largest group actions ever brought in the UK — is being pursued on behalf of more than 1.6 million vehicle owners. The case centres on whether certain diesel vehicles were fitted with prohibited “defeat devices” designed to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions during testing while allowing far higher emissions in real-world driving. Excess NOx emissions are linked to asthma, respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and premature death.
The lead defendants are Mercedes-Benz, Ford Motor Company, Renault / Nissan Motor Co., and brands within Stellantis. A further group of manufacturers — including BMW, Toyota, Volkswagen and Jaguar Land Rover – will be bound by the Court’s determination on common issues of law.
A judgment as to whether prohibited defeat devices are installed in the vehicles will be handed down by the Court in the Summer.
We shall keep you updated with any further developments as they arise.
After ten weeks at the High Court, hearings in the UK Dieselgate Emissions defeat device Trial came to a close last week.
The trial opened on 13 October 2025, and has heard allegations that major car manufacturers sold a range of diesel vehicles containing technology designed to cheat emissions tests, releasing higher levels of NOx emissions when driven on the road than under test conditions.
With 1.6 million claimants, it is the largest group claim trial in English and Welsh legal history.
A judgment as to whether prohibited defeat devices are installed in the vehicles will be handed down by the Court next Spring/Summer.
We shall keep you updated with any further developments as they arise.
Major Legal Victory for Transparency in Diesel Emissions Case
We’re pleased to share a significant development in the ongoing diesel emissions litigation.
At a recent hearing, published on 25 July, the High Court delivered a powerful message: Corporate accountability should remain open to public scrutiny.
The Court has rejected attempts by vehicle manufacturers to withhold key documents from public view, despite their claims of “commercial sensitivity.”
This ruling means that crucial materials — including technical data, pricing structures, and engine design information — must now be made available in open court as part of the trial beginning this October.
In his decision, Mr Justice Constable made it clear that “very few (if any) parts of documents… will not be designated Green or Amber,” classifications that require the materials to be discussed openly and without reporting restrictions.
What this means:
We are working closely with lead solicitors to keep claims moving forward and hold vehicle manufacturers accountable. We see the collaborative approach from the Counsel on both sides as a positive that we are narrowing issues between themselves.
We will continue to keep you updated as the trial approaches – the timeline to trial is firmly in place.
We are writing to you with a new development following a recent Case Management Conference (CMC) that took place at the High Court, between 7 to 9 May 2025, this hearing dealt with key issues in the lead-up to both the PDD Trial and the 2026 Quantum Trial.
We are pleased to report that the hearing went well overall with progress made on several important fronts and it was pleasing to see the Judge hold all parties to a strict timetable on meeting deadlines and disclosing documents.
The key issues discussed at the CMC included:
We are working closely with lead solicitors to keep claims moving forward and hold vehicle manufacturers accountable. We see the collaborative approach from the Counsel on both sides as a positive that we are narrowing issues between themselves.
A further hearing in July 2025 will review progress and set directions for the final litigation phase in 2026 and make a final determination whether the case will proceed to trial in October 2025, which will determine compensation for the Claimants. We will be in touch following the next hearing in July 2025 – the timeline to trial is firmly in place.
We are writing to you with a new development following a recent Case Management Conference (CMC) that took place between 5 to 7 March 2025, where all sides presented arguments on legal, evidential, and procedural issues ahead of the October 2025 trial (where the Court will determine whether the selected sample vehicles contained cheat devices and, if so, whether they were illegal/prohibited).
The key issues discussed at the CMC included:
The hearing was successful, with the Claimants’ barristers pushing to prevent delays and ensure manufacturers disclose key documents that was previously ordered. There were considerable discussions between the Parties Counsel outside of the hearing, that allowed the CMC to progress at a steady pace and in a collaborative fashion. This included significant progress in relation to the number of test vehicles required and where they will be tested.
The Judge was keen and confirmed that the case remained on track for the October 2025 trial, which will have significant implications for all manufacturers and Claimants. The Judge did not wish for there to be an excuse to delay the proceedings and further.
We are working closely with lead solicitors to keep claims moving forward and hold vehicle manufacturers accountable. We see the collaborative approach from the Counsel on both sides as a positive that we are narrowing issues between themselves.
A further CMC in May 2025 will review progress and set directions for the final litigation phase in 2026 and make a final determination whether the case will proceed to trial in October 2025, which will determine compensation for the Claimants. We will be in touch following the CMC in May 2025.
Venus Legal are pleased to announce an exciting development in relation to the Diesel Emissions litigation.
Judgment was handed down on the 14th November 2024, from the preliminary issue trial in the Mercedes Diesel NOx Emissions case, which commenced last month in October 2024.
The Court addressed the issue of whether the decisions of the KBA (the German vehicle regulator) were binding on UK Courts and Claimants. The Court found in favour of the Claimants and held that the recall decisions (where Prohibited Defeat Devices ‘PDDs’) were identified and removed are binding (other decisions and original type approvals are not, which means that Claimants must establish the presence of PDDS).
This is a significant victory for Claimants, as this decision enables us to rely on KBA findings that PDDs were present in recalled vehicles (in respect of the German manufacturers). We believe that this ruling will also strengthen the position of the wider Pan-Nox Group Litigations and will simplify the management of the claims further and reduce delays in the litigation.
Litigation of this nature can take a considerable amount of time, but rest assured we are making good progress. We are hopeful, following a number of important developments and supportive court judgements worldwide, that we will be in a position to bring you positive news about the progress of your claim in the not-too-distant future.
We thank you for your co-operation and look forward to providing you with another update as developments arise.
We are writing to you with an exciting update in relation to the Diesel Emissions claims.
Currently, the Court and all parties are preparing for the first trial due to commence in early October 2024. We will discover whether the German Motor Regulator’s decisions are compatible and binding in English Courts.
In addition to trial preparation, evidence has started to be received and analysed for the April 2025 and October 2025 trials, which have already been listed by the Court. Closing submissions in the case are scheduled for Spring 2026.
The emissions claims, referred to as NOx Group Litigation/Diselgate, have been issued against the following vehicle Manufacturing Groups: Mercedes, Vauxhall/Opel, Nissan/Renault, Volkswagen/Porsche, Peugeot/Citroën, Jaguar/Land Rover, Ford, BMW, FCA/Suzuki, Volvo, Hyundai-Kia, Toyota and Mazda.
Ford, Nissan/Renault and Peugeot/Citroen have joined Mercedes as additional lead claims. The October 2024 court hearing may simplify the management of the claims further and reduce delays in the litigation.
Litigation of this nature can take a considerable amount of time, but rest assured we are making good progress. We are hopeful, following a number of important developments and supportive court judgements worldwide, that we will be in a position to bring you positive news about the progress of your claim in the not-too-distant future. We will be in touch further following the October 2024 hearing.
We thank you for your co-operation and look forward to providing you with another update as developments arise.
Following a lengthy three-day hearing which took place between 11-13 June 2024 at the High Court in London, costs budgets were exchanged between the parties, in order to progress the group action via the litigation process.
The Court has also scheduled further hearings in September 2024, October 2024 and Spring 2025. Closing submissions in the case are scheduled for Spring 2026.
The emissions claims, referred to as NOx Group Litigation/Diselgate, have been issued against the following vehicle Manufacturing Groups: Mercedes, Vauxhall/Opel, Nissan/Renault, Volkswagen/Porsche, Peugeot/Citroën, Jaguar/Land Rover, Ford, BMW, FCA/Suzuki, Volvo, Hyundai-Kia, Toyota and Mazda.
Ford, Nissan/Renault and Peugeot/Citroen have joined Mercedes as additional lead claims. The October 2024 hearing may simplify the management of the claims further and reduce delays in the litigation.
Litigation of this nature can take a considerable amount of time, but rest assured we are making good progress. We are hopeful, following a number of important developments and supportive court judgements worldwide, that we will be in a position to bring you positive news about the progress of your claim in the not-too-distant future. We will be in touch further following the October 2024 hearing.
We thank you for your co-operation and look forward to providing you with another update as developments arise.
Following several Court hearings relating to the Mercedes emissions case, the High Court have confirmed a trial date for Mercedes in February 2025. The Court has also listed multiple hearings thought the year and in the coming months, hearings are scheduled to deal with disclosure and other issues.
While the Mercedes emissions case is the furthest along, cases against other car manufacturers are also gaining momentum following recent court hearings in December 2023 and January 2024.
The hearings involved the claims of some 1.2 million people against 16 car manufacturing groups (including but not limited to BMW, Nissan Renault, Ford, Kia Mazda, Vauxhall), and were called so that the court could simplify the management of the claims, reduce costs and delays, and ensure the efficient use of court resources.
As a result, the court has now confirmed that Ford will join Mercedes’ trial date in February 2025 – and one or two other manufacturers could also be added to the same trial. We should find out more about this next month, as another Court hearing is scheduled for 11 to 15 March 2024.
Litigation of this nature can take a considerable amount of time, but rest assured we are making good progress. We are hopeful, following a number of important developments and supportive court judgments worldwide, that we will be in a position to bring you positive news about the progress of your claim in the not-too-distant future.
We thank you for your co-operation and look forward to providing you with another update as developments arise.