The State of Arkansas is included in the nearly $150 million settle with Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC and Mercedes Group AG according to Attorney General Tim Griffin. Mercedes-Benz marketed and sold over 211,000 diesel passenger cars and vans nationwide as environmentally compliant. The lawsuit alleged that the car manufacturer installed “defeat device” software designed to make their diesel vehicles appear compliant during emissions tests, but during normal driving, the devices would allow vehicles to surpass the legal limits for nitrogen oxide emissions. Nitrogen oxides contribute to respiratory illnesses and smog. Of the $150,000 million settlement, Arkansas will receive $250,000. Approximately 704 of the effected vehicles were sold or registered in Arkansas.
While Arkansas does not require emissions testing to register vehicles, some Arkansas businesses do offer the service, particularly if the vehicle is going to be traded or registered in another state. It is alleged Mercedes installed the software because it could not reach performance goals like fuel efficiency while remaining within emissions standards. The cars and vans were marketed as “environmentally friendly.”
In 2020, Mercedes-Benz agreed to pay 1.5 billion to the US government and the State of California to resolve the allegations from those two entities. The current settlement of $150 million is for all remaining legal proceedings. The automative company continues to deny liability despite the settlement.
In addition to the settlement with the states, Mercedes is required to cover the cost of updating approved emission software on each of the vehicles. Consumers may also be eligible to receive $2,000 per vehicle from Mercedes-Benz. The website to see if your vehicle is part of the settlement is not yet available, but the website for the original settlement with the US Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency is bluetecupdate.mbusa.com/home. Consumers will need their VIN.
