A Volkswagen car owner has brought a lawsuit claiming that the automaker intentionally misrepresented its safety system features and put drivers and passengers at risk. The proposed class action lawsuit will include California residents who bought or leased certain Volkswagen models manufactured between 2016 and 2017. These include 100,000 Volkswagen Golf, CC, Jetta, Passat and Alltrack models sold in California. The case was transferred to a federal court.
The claim alleges that the affected vehicles contain forward collision warning systems and automatic emergency braking systems that do not operate properly when the car is being driven over 18 mph. The plaintiff maintains that the falsified claims make the car worth less than what it was sold for and exposed owners and lessees to dangerous driving conditions. The plaintiff’s claim that Volkswagen’s advertising was false and deceptive was largely based on the automaker’s own representations about its safety features. Volkswagen has marketed itself as one of the safest auto manufacturers in the United States. Indeed, the tagline of its advertisements is “it brakes when you don’t.”
The plaintiff asserted that he bought his 2017 Passat because of its advertised safety features. Specifically, the Passat was marketed as providing automatic braking at speeds exceeding 25 miles per hour. The car owner’s manual, which was given to and reviewed by the plaintiff, noted that the vehicle contained a high-speed autonomous braking system as a standard feature. However, the lawsuit asserts that Volkswagen never included these safety features for cars being driven over 25 miles per hour and the plaintiff never experienced any alerts or autonomous braking by the car when traveling at these speeds.
Moreover, the carmaker is alleged to have known about the defective safety features after tests were performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In its testing, the IIHS did not identify any Volkswagen vehicles that could autobrake at high speeds when the vehicle was traveling over 25 mph. The lawsuit alleges that the speed of the Passat cars tested by the IIHS was reduced by zero miles per hour when traveling at more than 25 miles per hour.
If you or a member of your family suffered injury or death as a result of negligence or a defective automobile, contact the attorneys Alexander Law Group, LLP. Our exceptional personal injury lawyers will answer your questions and get you the maximum compensation that is possible. Call 888.777.1776 or contact us online.
