Overview

• The three-month High Court hearing before Lady Justice Cockerill begins today at the Royal Courts of Justice, with proceedings scheduled to run through December.
• The lead defendants are Mercedes‑Benz, Ford, Renault, Nissan, and Peugeot/Citroën, with the judgment to bind claims against other manufacturers named in the wider action.
• Claimants allege the use of prohibited defeat devices that detected test conditions and suppressed NOx emissions, allegations the carmakers reject as flawed while asserting regulatory compliance.
• Law firms representing motorists say the consolidated litigation could be worth at least £6 billion, following earlier UK findings against Volkswagen and its £193 million settlement with 91,000 drivers in 2022.
• The court will first decide liability for selected vehicles, with a judgment expected in summer 2026 and a separate compensation phase currently listed for autumn 2026.