Volkswagen must also compensate buyers of second-hand cars for diesel scandal

Buyers of second-hand Volkswagen may also be eligible en masse for compensation for the car manufacturer’s software that messed with emission data on diesel vehicles. The Consumentenbond reported that for the first time in the Netherlands, a court had awarded compensation to an individual owner of a second-hand car.

The Dutch Consumers’ Association, together with the Volkswagen Group Diesel Efficiency Foundation (VGDES), had brought the case to court. The court ruled in their favor with a compensation of 1,500 for a consumer who bought a second-hand diesel car with the fraudulent software installed in the past. According to the parties, this amount is in line with earlier court decisions on second-hand Volkswagens.

“The subdistrict court ruled, among other things, that Volkswagen withheld essential information for a purchase decision,” said Consumentenbond director Sandra Molenaar. “Or in plain language: Volkswagen has misled the consumer. Our goal is to tighten the net around VW and to encourage the company to discuss a compensation scheme for all Dutch victims.”

Between 2009 and 2015, Volkswagen equipped diesel cars with software that showed lower nitrogen oxide emissions in test conditions to keep them within legal standards. This lawsuit is one of four cases initiated by VGDES and the Consumentenbond on behalf of individual buyers of fraud diesels. In two previous cases, courts have already ruled that Volkswagen must pay buyers of new versions of the cars 3,000 euros in compensation.