MSE News: Was your car affected by the VW emissions scandal? You could claim £1,000s

Pincher

So I'm breathing in more dirt than I thought?
Sue them. Should get a box of masks at least.

mac.d

I bought my diesel VW because I thought it'd be the greener option, next time I'll just go for a petrol car. Not sure I'll buy another VW after this mind you. As long as I still get a good trade-in for it, not sure why I or any other VW owner would be due compensation? Apart from the fact VW have already paid out in the US.

Graham_Devon

What have people actually lost? There was worry about resale values, but that worry doesn't seem to have amounted to anything.

The only thing I would suggest people should be entitled to is a payment for their time, fuel and inconvenience of having to take their car in for a software patch. No one should have to do that out of their own pocket IMO, however, VW etc seem to think they should.

Don't see why people should be getting anything else. Like anyone bought any of these cars over another marque, say, Toyota, to cut emissions.....if they had been doing that, they wouldn't have the cars that were tampered with in the first place as there are loads of better options in that respect.

Maybe a couple of free services or such like for those affected, but don't see the reason for "£1,000s".

Graham_Devon

mac.d wrote: »

I bought my diesel VW because I thought it'd be the greener option, next time I'll just go for a petrol car. Not sure I'll buy another VW after this mind you. As long as I still get a good trade-in for it, not sure why I or any other VW owner would be due compensation? Apart from the fact VW have already paid out in the US.

The US has MUCH better consumer protection when it comes to cars than we do. We tend to make sure the company is protected before the consumer (in cars at least).

This happens across all marques. Due to this, there are so many recalls in the US. Here, they leave the known faults in the car and then ask us to stump up the cash when they go wrong.

neilmcl

mac.d wrote: »

I bought my diesel VW because I thought it'd be the greener option.

How did you come to that decision?

VW, or any other manufacturer have never advertised figures regarding NOx or other pollutants. A VW diesel is as "green" as any other diesel, if you really wanted a green car then perhaps you should have been looking at an electric or hybrid but even their "green" credentials are up for debate.

Johno100

neilmcl wrote: »

How did you come to that decision?

VW, or any other manufacturer have never advertised figures regarding NOx or other pollutants. A VW diesel is as "green" as any other diesel, if you really wanted a green car then perhaps you should have been looking at an electric or hybrid but even their "green" credentials are up for debate.

I suspect "greener option" in most cases can be translated as "it's in a low VED band and has a supposedly good MPG figure".

reeac

There was lots of Government publicity plus financial incentives to go diesel 20-30 years ago citing reduced CO2 emissions (and ignoring existing info regarding more harmful constituents). Presumably done to help the motor industry by encouraging people to change their cars. I remember thinking at the time how ridiculous was the concept of diesels being green ...one only needed a sense of smell plus enough eyesight to see the black clouds and blackening around the tail pipes of those pre-DPF cars. I recall that the Escort 1.6 D was a particularly prominent example.

mac.d

neilmcl wrote: »

How did you come to that decision?

Pretty much as the next two posters suggest, the government had been promoting diesel as the greener option, and consequently it had a lower VED rate (I think I was £125 for my previous petrol car and it went down to £35). The improved MPG was also a factor but not much as I don't drive a huge amount.

I did look at an electric or hybrid, but the cost and as you say, just how green their credentials are, made me just go with my current diesel VW. I thought my next car would definitely be a hybrid (not ready to go full electric yet), but I'm still not convinced. It certainly won't be a diesel, that's all I know.

neilmcl

mac.d wrote: »

Pretty much as the next two posters suggest, the government had been promoting diesel as the greener option, and consequently it had a lower VED rate (I think I was £125 for my previous petrol car and it went down to £35). The improved MPG was also a factor but not much as I don't drive a huge amount.

Neither of which has anything to do with the so-called "emissions scandal" then. The VED hasn't and wont change because that's determined by CO2 emissions and MPG hasn't been affected. So, in other words, the car you bought with those factors mentioned is as "green" as it was advertised.

stuart27545

its not no win no fee - if you read the small print you agree to the law firms accruing expenses from day 1, which are payable by all in the group action even if the case doesn't go forwards i.e. they could leave the case open for a year, accruing expenses, close the case and then charge all that have signed up