The latest blow to land in the ongoing Volkswagen diesel deception saga comes not from the EPA or the International Council on Clean Transportation, but the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has charged that Volkswagen?s ?Clean Diesel? advertising campaign deliberately deceived consumers. The complaint, filed in federal court on March 29, 2016, is seeking a court order requiring that Volkswagen compensate all consumers who bought or leased an affected vehicle between late 2008 and late 2015.
Specifically, the official complaint alleges that, ?during this seven-year period Volkswagen deceived consumers by selling or leasing more than 550,000 diesel cars based on false claims that the cars were low-emission, environmentally friendly, met emissions standards and would maintain a high resale value.” The cars sold for an average price of about $28,000, although the complaint maintains that the MSRPs for the affected vehicles ranged from roughly $22,000 for the least-expensive VW model with a 2.0-liter engine to approximately $125,000 for the most-expensive Audi model with a 3.0-liter engine. Featured in numerous high-profile advertising campaigns including television Super Bowl spots, online social-media campaigns, and print ads, the advertisements often targeted ?environmentally-conscious? consumers. Additionally, the FTC charges that Volkswagen’s installing the emissions defeat devices was an unfair practice. FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez claims the lawsuit...