Here We Go Again: German Regulators Discover Cheat Device On Fiat Vehicles

Following an announcement from Germany’s transportation ministry, German magazine Der Spiegel is reporting that regulators in the European nation have found a defeat device installed on the Fiat 500X that violates emissions regulations in the European Union. The device is designed to operate in an emissions compliant mode for a set period of time before shutting off and emitting more pollutants once typical emissions testing periods would end, all done with the aim of fooling regulators.
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TheSteve - 4/6/2017 5:12:11 PM

+3 Boost

Of similar note, even though Mercedes has not been charged with using a cheat device (they likely aren't, as defined by law), their diesels are not passing certification in 2017. Check your Mercedes Benz (North American) website and try to find a diesel engine option. Ditto with BMW. All their North American diesel offerings are gone.

While some folks might spin this as "just responding to lack of sales demand," my written correspondence with MB indicates that's just not so.

malba2367 - 4/7/2017 2:34:26 PM

+4 Boost

It wouldn't surprise me if Bosch, who makes a lot of the components and management systems for most Diesel engines out there, had some sort of role in this mess. It seems unlikely that multiple automakers would independently come up with such a brazen scheme to cheat emissions tests.

TheSteve - 4/8/2017 12:41:43 PM

+2 Boost

According to information I have read, Bosch was ruled guilty in conspiring with VW to create and produce the illegal "cheat device"[1]. As part of the penalty, Bosche will pay US$1,300 compensation in addition to VW's compensation payments to eligible vehicle owners.

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[1] In mail dialogs between Bosch and Volkswagen, Bosch warned VW that the engine control units they were shipping were not street legal, and could be used for "testing purposes" only. Bosch shipped over a million of these units to VW. The courts concluded that Bosch communicated this message with the (mistaken) belief that it would document that they were not implicated, should VW's use of this illegal device become public (i.e., Bosch said (paraphrased) "I told you it's for testing only, but you put it in production vehicles against what we told you.") The courts also concluded that by shipping so many units to VW, and knowing they are illegal for street use, Bosch would have reasonably known these illegal units are being used in production vehicles.