The High Court has set formal cut-off dates for new claimants coming forward in many of the diesel emission cases – with Ford and BMW coming up first on Thursday, May 23, and Sunday, June 2, respectively, experts from Diesel Emission Claim - a website built for this purpose - have warned.
There are now group legal claims in existence that alleged that some carmakers used 'defeat devices', which are illegal, in their vehicles to make tests think that they emitted lower emissions than they really did. This, law firms argue, means that some cars and vans therefore emit more nitrogen oxide than advertised, meaning they were therefore mis-sold to customers.
Can you claim if your diesel vehicle was bought through a business? If your vehicle was purchased as a sole trader or partnership, then you should still be able to make an emissions claim. The same applies if you have a vehicle purchased in your name but funded by your company through a finance or lease agreement. However, if you purchased your vehicle through a limited company, you don’t qualify to join the group action diesel emission claims.
What about if you bought/leased your car in Scotland or Northern Ireland? If you bought or leased your diesel vehicle in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you will not be able to join claims in England and Wales. This is because you can only claim in the country you acquired the car, regardless of where you live. Even though many of the same issues are relevant, the claims in Scotland and Northern Ireland are separate and at earlier stages.
How will you know if your car is one of the affected diesel engine vehicles? To find out the engine type of your car, you will need your 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number . This is normally stamped on the lower corner of the windscreen on the driver’s side of the car and on the door frame of the driver’s side door.