Renault to face criminal charges in France over cheat devices in diesel vehicles

It has been confirmed that car manufacturer Renault will face a criminal trial in France next year, on aggravated fraud charges over accusations that devices in its diesel vehicles were designed to manipulate regulatory emissions tests, allowing the cars to appear less polluting than they were under real driving conditions.

This makes Renault the second car manufacturer to be referred to France’s criminal court over the Dieselgate emissions scandal, just over a decade on from German manufacturer Volkswagen, who in 2015 admitted installing software in millions of vehicles which made engines appear less polluting during regulatory tests than in normal driving conditions.

In addition to Renault, an investigating judge is reviewing a request by prosecutors to refer Peugeot-Citroen and Fiat Chrysler to criminal court.

With the first procedural hearing scheduled for April 2027, Renault continues to dispute the allegations.

The actions taken by the French legal system demonstrate the seriousness with which the authorities are pursuing the allegations, as matters of significant public and environmental importance, with documents from the prosecutor’s office detailing that the alleged cheat devices contributed to higher atmospheric pollution of nitrogen oxides, which are suspected of "provoking the development of respiratory diseases in humans".

The team at Johnson Law Group will continue to monitor this trial as it progresses.

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