If you're one of thousands of Arizonans who believed you were buying a "Clean Diesel" Volkswagen, Audi or Porsche, the Arizona Attorney General's Office (AZAG) is going after car makers on your behalf.
The complaint was filed Monday in Maricopa County Superior Court.
In 2015 Volkswagen admitted to using what the AZAG calls "defeat devices," which allowed its cars to mask high emissions during government testing. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates the vehicles put out up to 40 times more pollution that is allowed by law.
The admission has already prompted a voluntary recall, class action lawsuits, a complaint from the Federal Trade Commission, and a formal violation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Now the AZAG accuses the companies of violating the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act.
According to the complaint, Volkswagen used various marketing campaigns designed to point out how environmentally-friendly the cars were, despite knowing it was not true.
Those who purchased the vehicles paid a premium for purported "Clean Diesel" vehicles that they did not receive, the complaint said.
Affected cars include many diesel-powered VW, Audi, and Porsche model years 2009-2016.
Find out if your car is affected here.
The AZAG estimates that more than 4000 Arizonans purchased or leased affected models.
The agency is asking for restitution, and damages to Arizona consumers who leased or bought a vehicle during that time, civil penalties, and repayment of all profits made off the sales.
