The ruling provides a significant reprieve for Ford, Peugeot-Citroen, Renault, Nissan, and Mercedes-Benz. Claimants had argued that these companies installed software designed to lower nitrogen oxide emissions strictly during laboratory testing, artificially inflating performance figures compared to daily vehicle use. The court’s rejection of these primary accusations strikes a major blow to the class-action strategy.

Renault and Mercedes-Benz expressed satisfaction with the outcome, maintaining that their engineering processes have consistently adhered to regulatory standards. While the court largely cleared the defendants, Mercedes-Benz noted it may appeal a specific finding regarding a single noncompliant vehicle sample that lacked a necessary software update. The company maintains that its technical solutions remain legally and operationally sound. A secondary trial is scheduled for October to address remaining procedural questions regarding damages and the consequences of minor breaches identified during the proceedings.