It would seem that German automobile companies are treading on dangerous grounds. After Volkswagen Group's misdoings with regards to its diesel engine emissions came to light in 2015, Stuttgart-based Daimler AG or Mercedes-Benz in particular is now being accused of using a defeat device in the car to reduce emissions while testing. The company is already under investigation by German Transport authorities and in the midst of this, it has voluntarily recalled over 3 million diesel vehicles for an engine service. Mercedes-Benz has said that it will cost the company approximately $255 million. All the servicing will be carried out free of charge for the customers. Mercedes-Benz cars will undergo further testing for emission levels.
(All Mercedes-Benz diesel cars will undergo further emissions testing in Germany)"The measures to be taken for nearly all EU5 and EU6 vehicles in Europe will be carried out in close cooperation with the German regulatory authorities. The company is investing about 220 million euros. The service actions involve no costs for the customers. The implementation of the measures will be starting in the next weeks. Due to the large number of vehicles this will continue over a longer period of time. "In this way, Daimler is making a significant contribution to the reduction of nitrogen-oxide emissions from diesel vehicles in European inner cities," it said in a statement.
German investigators suspect that Daimler vehicles are using a defeat device similar to the ones used by Volkswagen cars, 2015 where the company admitted to using the device on more than 11 million vehicles. How the defeat device works in the cars is that it runs the emissions treatment system at a higher setting when it detects the vehicle seems to be undergoing regulatory testing.
