• High Court hears UK’s largest ever consumer claim as 1.6 million drivers seek justice.
• Car giants accused of using unlawful software to cheat emissions tests and mislead motorists.
• Pogust Goodhead says trial is a defining moment for corporate accountability and environmental justice.
London, 13 October 2025 – The High Court today opens the landmark UK Dieselgate trial (the “Pan NOx PDD Trial”) – one of the largest consumer group action ever heard by the English courts. More than 1.6 million motorists are taking legal action against major car manufacturers, including Mercedes, Ford, Renault, Nissan and Peugeot-Citroën.
Over a three-month trial, the Court will hear allegations that these companies intentionally misled motorists by using unlawful software known as “prohibited defeat devices” to cheat emissions tests. The claimants allege these devices reduced emissions during official testing, but once the vehicles were driven on the road, they emitted pollution levels, in some cases, more than 40 times above the legal limit.
Pogust Goodhead represents thousands of affected drivers, arguing that the manufacturers’ deception not only misled consumers, who unknowingly bought vehicles they believed to be cleaner and more environmentally friendly than they were, but also contributed to harmful levels of air pollutions across the UK.
Excess emissions are a serious public health and environmental concern. According to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), defeat devices in diesel vehicles have contributed to over 205,000 premature deaths across the EU and UK since 2009, including 22,000 in the UK, and caused 41,000 new cases of childhood asthma.
Ten years after the Dieselgate scandal first came to light, the High Court trial is a chance to set a legal precedent, force change in the automotive industry, and send a clear message to the corporate world that this behaviour cannot be tolerated. The trial also breaks new ground in how large-scale, complex group litigation against entire industries can be managed within the current legal framework.
Alicia Alinia, CEO at Pogust Goodhead, said: “This trial is a mammoth feat by the justice system, reflecting the scale of the alleged wrongdoing by car manufacturers.
The case goes to the heart of corporate accountability and environmental justice. The Court will test whether prohibited defeat devices were used to game emissions rules and, if so, what impact they have had on the air we all breathe and the health of people exposed to higher levels of harmful pollution. The judgment will guide the remaining UK claims and, we hope, send a clear signal to the wider industry on compliance and consumer trust.
Drivers were told they were buying cleaner, compliant cars. Many paid more to have an environmentally friendly vehicle and breathed dirtier air instead. They deserve answers, accountability, and compensation.”
Notes to Editor:
• Pogust Goodhead, joint Lead Solicitors in the Pan-NOx Litigation, represent over 41% of the claimant cohort, equating to 665,000 individual Claimants, who are bringing claims for over 750,000 vehicles.
Trial Timetable
• Dates: 13 October – 19 December 2025 (the Court will not sit on Fridays)
• Week 1: Opening submissions by all Lead Parties, followed by evidence in the fields of climatology and normal driving conditions.
• Lead manufacturer evidence:
• Mercedes: 29 Oct – 6 Nov;
• Ford: 10 Nov – 18 Nov AM;
• Peugeot-Citroën: 18 Nov PM – 27 Nov;
• Renault: 1 Dec – 9 Dec;
• Nissan: 10 Dec – 19 Dec.
• Closing submissions: from 2 March 2026.
• A damages (quantum) trial: listed for October 2026, subject to the outcome of the liability issues in these proceedings. This timetable is proceeding concurrently with the PDD Trial.
Media contact
commsteam@pogustgoodhead.com
