BMW Sued Over Emissions-Test Cheating

BMW AG is the latest company to be added to the growing list of car manufacturers sued by U.S. drivers for installing software designed to cheat diesel-emissions tests.

Tens of thousands of X5 and 335D model diesel cars built between 2009 and 2011 are the culprit vehicles whose owners are suing BMW and its technology supplier, Robert Bosch GmbH.

The lawsuit alleges the company installed algorithms designed to manipulate testing systems, using methods similar to those admitted to by Volkswagen AG. They claim those vehicles are polluting at up to 27 times the legal limit, according to the complaint filed in New Jersey federal court.

Steve Berman, the claimants’ lawyer who has filed similar claims against Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Fiat Chrysler, GM and Volkswagen, said. “At these levels, these cars aren’t just dirty — they don’t meet standards to be legally driven on U.S. streets and no one would have bought these cars if BMW had told the truth.”

BMW North America spokesman Kenn Sparks said in a statement: “As a matter of principle, BMW Group vehicles are not manipulated and comply with all respective legal requirements.”

Last week, prosecutors raided the company’s Munich headquarters and its engine plant in Steyr, Austria, to look into 7-Series and 5-Series sedans after BMW admitted it mistakenly put the wrong software in almost 12,000 diesel vehicles