An Audi owner in San Diego has filed a federal lawsuit in over news that Volkswagen tampered with emissions testing on VW and Audi models to deceive regulators.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court seeks class-action status for San Diego-area residents who bought or leased a Volkswagen with a diesel engine or a diesel-powered Audi A3 between 2009 and 2015.
It's one of several dozen filed across the U.S. following last week's announcement by federal regulators that VW installed a component that switched to a clean driving mode during smog tests but reverted to higher emissions when testing was done.
The lawsuit alleges that VW falsely marketed the cars as "eco-friendly," leading consumers to pay a premium.
Also Thursday, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette's office said Thursday he and at least 26 other attorneys general, including California's Kamala Harris, are opening a multi-state investigation into Volkswagen
Participating states include Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia. Washington, D.C., also is involved.
Volkswagen of America Group didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
But in a statement dated Sept. 20, ex-Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn — who resigned over the scandal on Wednesday — said he was "deeply sorry' for violating U.S. emissions standards and ordered an external investigation.
"The Board of Management at Volkswagen AG takes these findings very seriously," he said. "I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public. We will cooperate fully with the responsible agencies, with transparency and urgency, to clearly, openly and completely establish all of the facts of this case. Volkswagen has ordered an external investigation of this matter."
