U.S. Government Sues Fiat Chrysler for Emissions Fraud

The U.S. Department of Justice filed suit Tuesday against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, accusing the automaker of using software to enable over 100,000 diesel-powered automobiles to pass emissions tests.

The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, says that the automaker built and sold 104,000 vehicles since 2014 powered by diesel engines that violated the U.S. Clean Air Act by using a so-called defeat device. The suit could result in billions of dollars in penalties.

Fiat Chrysler issued a statement saying it would vigorously defend itself against claims that “it engaged in any deliberate scheme to install defeat devices to cheat U.S. emissions tests.”

The claim mirrors one made against Volkswagen in the so-called Dieselgate scandal. Volkswagen eventually admitted to intentionally installing software that would fool emissions testing systems.

In September of last year, a Volkswagen engineer pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud buyers of VW diesels as well as federal regulators in the first criminal charges stemming from the U.S. investigation into the German carmaker’s emissions deception.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)