Mercedes emissions claim

Mercedes-Benz is alleged to have cheated emissions tests on certain Mercedes-Benz diesel vehicles manufactured between 2009 and 2018. Individuals or businesses who owned or leased such diesel cars may have been misled and paid a premium for Mercedes’s supposedly more environmentally friendly engineering. If they misled their own customers, those who bought the vehicles in good faith deserve compensation.

Thank you for your interest in the Mercedes Emissions Claim. Please note, however, that Hausfeld is no longer accepting new claims.

Hausfeld issued claims on behalf of individuals and businesses who owned or leased certain Mercedes-Benz diesel vehicles manufactured between 2009 and 2018. The claims alleged that some of those vehicles were fitted with prohibited ‘defeat devices’, which, in real-world driving conditions, produced higher levels of nitrogen oxides (“NOx”) than would have been indicated during test conditions. As a result, individuals or businesses who owned or leased such diesel cars may have been misled and paid a premium for Mercedes’s supposedly more environmentally friendly engineering. Mercedes-Benz disputed these allegations.

The proceedings were managed through a Group Litigation Order in the High Court, one of the largest group litigation brought in England & Wales. The case against Mercedes-Benz formed part of the wider Pan-NOx Group Litigation, involving claims against several vehicle manufacturers that were also alleged to have used prohibited defeat devices.

The Pan-NOx litigation involved common legal and technical issues. “Test’ vehicles of certain manufacturers, including Mercedes, were identified to assist the Court in determining issues relevant to wider groups of claimants for all manufacturers.

Liability trial and judgment

The first substantive liability trial took place over 13 weeks between October 2025 and March 2026. The trial considered expert evidence and legal arguments relating to Mercedes-Benz vehicles, among other manufacturers.

On 10 July 2026, the High Court handed down its judgment. The court found that one of the Mercedes-Benz test vehicles was fitted with a prohibited defeat device. The effect of the judgment on individual claims therefore depends on the specific vehicle in question and whether the findings in the judgment are applicable to that vehicle.

What happens next?

The proceedings remain ongoing. A consequential hearing relating to the PDD judgment will be held on 7-8 October 2026 where any application to appeal will be considered.

The liability trial will be followed by a quantum trial against Mercedes-Benz only, currently listed to begin in November 2026. The quantum trial will consider issues relevant to the value of any losses claimed.

If you have any questions or require any assistance, please feel free to contact us at mercedesemissionsclaim@hausfeld.com.