Daimler Faces German Consumer Class Action Over Diesel Engines

(Bloomberg) -- Daimler AG is facing a class action lawsuit in Germany from consumer group VZBV, which last year won an 830 million euro ($981 million) settlement in a very similar case against Volkswagen AG.

The consumer group alleges Daimler manipulated diesel engines to cheat on emission rules, VZBV said in a statement. The action covers Mercedes GLC and GLK models with engines of type OM 651, of which there are about 50,000 on German roads, the group said.

Drivers “can now get certainty as to whether Daimler intentionally implemented a defeat device,” Klaus Mueller, head of VZBV said in the statement, referring to technology used to cheat the testing system. “Despite recalls ordered by the authorities, Daimler denies to this day that it deliberately manipulated its cars.”

Daimler said on Tuesday it hasn't received the suit yet but considers diesel suits unfounded and will defend itself against them. The carmaker said it has won a total of about 95% of all suits filed by car owners against it.

The suits copies VZBV's case against Volkswagen over the diesel emission scandal which ended with the near billion-dollar settlement for the consumer group early last year. VZBV has hired the same lawyers that already litigated the VW case to fight Daimler.

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