Dieselgate Also Spreads To Motorhomes - Thousands Of Motorhome Buyers Are Affected.

Dieselgate is now also hitting the motorhome sector. Around 200,000 motorhomes could be affected. Above all Fiat stands now in the focus. Euro 5 and Euro 6 Diesel-engines from Fiat are installed in many motorhomes. This includes independent motorhome manufacturers who rely on Fiat's vehicle chassis. Defeat devices are installed in the affected engines that detect whether the vehicle is on a test stand. If the motorhome leaves the test stand, it emits exhaust gases that are up to almost twenty times above the limit value. Motorhomes with Fiat engines from 2016 to 2019 are affected.

Any motorhome with a Fiat engine could be affected

Both in France and in Germany, the Fiat Group is facing legal action as a result. In France, the group has already been charged with deceiving customers. In Germany, the group is facing a wave of lawsuits from motorhome buyers. But also there the police and public prosecutor's office investigate already against the company.

Yet the authorities have known about the existence of the defeat device for a long time. The German Federal Motor Transport Authority already tested affected motorhomes in 2016 and found that the engines were operating with impermissible defeat devices. Also, the German supplier Bosch, informed the German authorities as early as 2016 that it had supplied illegal defeat devices to Fiat. Nevertheless, it approved the motorhomes of German manufacturers with Fiat chassis with a European type approval. In spite of this, the German Federal Ministry of Transport informed their Italian counterparts of this. However, the latter did nothing to protect their industry. The EU Commission therefore opened an infringement procedure, the end of which is not yet in sight.

The authorities knew about the illegal defeat devices.

The situation represents a difficult situation for all affected mobile home owners. After all, if they have invested a considerable sum in the purchase and maintenance of their motorhome, they expect their investment to be usable for a long time. However, this is precisely what is no longer certain due to the installation of inadmissible defeat devices. Thus, in light of the expected shift to a green industry, it is to be expected that in the future, vehicles that no longer comply with legal standards will be decommissioned or will have to be upgraded. In any case, mobile homes are already suffering a significant loss of value in many member states, which will be felt when they are sold.

Therefore, in many cases, the only way to avoid further financial damage is to take legal action. Our law firm has become skilled in protecting the rights of vehicle buyers who have been harmed by Dieselgate. If you are one of those affected, please feel free to contact us. We will advise you and exercise your rights against the manufacturers.

Learn more about how to enforce claims for damages in Dieselgate cases here.