{"id":7378,"date":"2025-07-09T17:38:48","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T15:38:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atb.law\/?post_type=blog-post&p=7378"},"modified":"2026-06-22T08:51:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T06:51:29","slug":"volvo-compensation-diesel-emissions-scandal","status":"publish","type":"blog-post","link":"https:\/\/atb.law\/en\/blog-post\/volvo-schadenersatz-abgasskandal\/","title":{"rendered":"Volvo compensation emissions scandal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Illegal defeat device due to the use of a thermal window<\/strong><\/h2>\n

According to EU Regulation 715\/2007, a defeat device is any element of design which senses temperature, vehicle speed, engine speed (RPM), gear engaged, intake manifold vacuum or any other parameter for the purpose of activating, modulating, delaying or deactivating the operation of any part of the emission control system, that reduces the effectiveness of the emission control system under conditions which may reasonably be expected to be encountered in normal vehicle operation. This includes in any case a so-called thermal window.<\/p>\n

A thermal window refers to a temperature range (e.g., 15 to 30 degrees Celsius) in which exhaust gas aftertreatment functions normally through the recirculation of exhaust gases into the engine's combustion chamber. Outside of this narrow temperature range, exhaust gas recirculation (\u201eEGR\u201c) is drastically reduced, so that the maximum permissible NOx values of 180 mg per driven kilometer under Euro 5 can no longer be complied with. In the affected Volvo vehicles, tests demonstrated the following:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For comparison, the average annual temperature in Austria is about 9 to 11 degrees Celsius.<\/p>\n

Defeat devices are only permitted in vehicles approved for operation within the EU if they are \u201enecessary\u201c to protect the engine from damage or accident and to ensure the safe operation of the vehicle. As experience from previous diesel scandal lawsuits involving VW, Audi, and Mercedes shows, this is not the case with Volvo's thermal window. Based on current knowledge, it must be assumed that the thermal windows installed by Volvo in the affected models are illegal defeat devices.<\/p>\n

Affected diesel vehicles: All Euro 5 and 6 models with 2.0 l diesel engines (D3 \/ D4) are under suspicion<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Specifically affected by the KBA notice are vehicles of the Volvo XC60 2.0 D (Euro 5) model. Since, based on current knowledge, the thermal window is also used in Euro 6 diesel engines, it can be assumed that the Volvo diesel scandal could also expand to Euro 6 diesel models. The affected D3 and D4 diesel engines (Euro 5 and 6) are used by Volvo particularly in the following model series:<\/p>\n