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Supported

The cited record supports the material proposition.

The US EPA alleged in a notice of violation dated 18 September 2015 that Volkswagen installed software in model year 2009 to 2015 2.0 liter diesel cars to defeat emissions controls.

About
Volkswagen AG
Claim made by
US Environmental Protection Agency, regulator statement
Published
18 September 2015
Original
Learn About Volkswagen Violations
Evidence score
97 How it was scored
Last reviewed
25 October 2026

Why this label

The EPA notice was an allegation when issuedS1. It was later borne out. In January 2017 Volkswagen agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Clean Air Act by lying to the EPA and US customersS2. The court accepted the plea agreement and imposed a US$2.8 billion criminal penalty on 21 April 2017S3. A guilty plea accepted by a court is a conviction, and it covers the scheme the EPA described. The record supports the material proposition.

Current procedural position

Guilty plea entered on 10 March 2017 and sentence imposed on 21 April 2017 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, case 2:16-cr-20394S3. Final.

Record supporting the assessment

The notice alleges that Volkswagen installed software in its model year 2009-2015 2.0 liter diesel cars
S1 Tier A US Environmental Protection Agency, Learn About Volkswagen Violations, Last updated 10 June 2026
has agreed to plead guilty to three criminal felony counts and pay a $2.8 billion criminal penalty
S2 Tier A US Department of Justice, Volkswagen AG Agrees to Plead Guilty and Pay $4.3 Billion in Criminal and Civil Penalties, 11 January 2017

Conflicting or limiting record

No record located that conflicts with this assessment.

Evidence score: 97 of 100

The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of Volkswagen AG. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.

ComponentPointsMaxReason
Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition?3030EPA and DOJ records are the competent authorities for the allegation and the plea.
DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts?1920The records state the software allegation and the plea in plain terms.
CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point?1415EPA, DOJ and the court record agree.
Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes?1515An accepted guilty plea with a sentence is final.
CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments?910No later reversal found. Probation and monitor end dates were not checked.
ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment?1010All pages are public on epa.gov and justice.gov.
Total97100

Timeline

  1. EPA notice of violation on 2.0 liter carsS1
  2. VW agrees to plead guiltyS2
  3. Guilty plea enteredS3
  4. Sentence imposedS3

Related cases

  • United States v. Volkswagen AGUS District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Criminal. 2:16-cr-20394.Stage: Sentenced. Final.
    • Guilty plea to three felony countsS3
    • Plea agreement accepted, US$2.8 billion criminal penalty, three years of probation and a monitorS3

Revision history

  • Assessment first published with label Supported.

Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.

Sources

  1. S1Tier A Learn About Volkswagen ViolationsUS Environmental Protection Agency. Regulator press release. Last updated 10 June 2026.Records both notices of violation and Volkswagen's 19 November 2015 admission on 3.0 liter models. It does not quote a company admission of wrongdoing.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
  2. S2Tier A Volkswagen AG Agrees to Plead Guilty and Pay $4.3 Billion in Criminal and Civil PenaltiesUS Department of Justice. Regulator press release. 11 January 2017.Supports the plea agreement, counts and penalties. It refers to the 3.0 liter cars only in the civil settlement context.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
  3. S3Tier A Volkswagen Diesel Engine Vehicle Matters, case updatesUS Department of Justice, Criminal Division. Regulator press release. Last updated 27 September 2023.Supports the case number, plea date and sentence. It has no entry on the end of probation or the monitorship.Link working, checked 25 October 2026

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