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Volkswagen Settlement Background
In the fall of 2015, Volkswagen admitted it had installed emissions control defeat devices – software designed to cheat emissions tests and deceive federal and state regulators – in certain Volkswagen-, Porsche-, and Audi-branded 2.0-liter and 3.0-liter diesel engine vehicles. The vehicles equipped with emission testing defeat devices resulted in increases in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions, up to forty times the allowable amount, violating the federal Clean Air Act. The increased NOx emissions had adverse impacts to air quality and contributed to the formation of ground-level ozone, which has harmful effects on ecosystems and impairs lung function and cardiovascular health.