Mercedes Agrees to Settle BlueTEC Diesel Emissions Lawsuit

Mercedes-Benz may pay Arizona $5.6 million to settle a lawsuit that alleges emissions were illegal.

Mercedes Agrees to Settle BlueTEC Diesel Emissions Lawsuit

Posted in News

— A Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC emissions lawsuit may be over after Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced consent judgments with Mercedes-Benz and Robert Bosch LLC.

Mercedes and Bosch are accused of false advertising of these BlueTEC II "clean diesel" vehicles.

  • 2014-2016 Mercedes-Benz E250
  • 2011-2013 Mercedes-Benz E350
  • 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL320
  • 2010-2016 Mercedes-Benz GL350
  • 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE300d
  • 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE350d
  • 2013-2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK250
  • 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML250
  • 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML320
  • 2010-2014 Mercedes-Benz ML350
  • 2009 Mercedes-Benz R320
  • 2010-2012 Mercedes-Benz R350
  • 2012-2013 Mercedes-Benz S350
  • 2014-2016 Mercedes-Benz or Freightliner Sprinter (4-cylinder)
  • 2010-2016 Mercedes-Benz or Freightliner Sprinter (6-cylinder)

The attorney general’s office filed the lawsuit in 2019 alleging Mercedes-Benz deceptively marketed its BlueTEC diesel vehicles as the most "environmentally conscious diesel option" in the world.

But the lawsuit contends the BlueTEC vehicles were far from friendly to the environment because the vehicles used illegal emissions defeat devices.

That forced the BlueTEC diesel vehicles to allegedly emit lower levels of emissions during lab testing, but during routine highway driving the emissions were illegal.

Arizona later added the Robert Bosch company to the lawsuit because Bosch built the electronic diesel control that allegedly allowed Mercedes to manipulate emissions controls.

Eligible Arizona consumers who owned or leased an affected Mercedes vehicle as of September 14, 2020, will receive letters once a judge approves the settlement.

The Arizona BlueTEC II diesel proposed consent judgments require Mercedes-Benz to pay $2,835,000 in restitution, with each qualifying Arizona consumer receiving up to $625 per BlueTEC vehicle.

In addition, Mercedes will pay $2,715,000 in penalties and Bosch will pay $525,000.