BMW is under investigation over findings that certain X3 diesels emit less NOx when the air conditioning is not in use
January 24, 2024 at 3:31 PM
It’s been eight years since the Dieselgate scandal broke, leading to major fines for VW, Audi and even Mercedes. However, BMW has managed to maintain a largely clean record. That could soon change, as German authorities have opened a new investigation into the 2010-2014 X3 20D.
The news follows a report from the summer of 2023, when the Deutsche Umwelt Hilfe (DUH), an environmental watchdog, reported that it had found what it believed to be an illegal cheating device in certain BMW X3s equipped with a 2.0-liter diesel engine . .
The organization said that during testing, when the SUV’s air conditioning was turned off (among other things), the SUV emitted far less NOx than when driven on the road. The DUH suspects this could be part of a device designed to cheat on emissions tests.
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If it exists, such a device would be very reminiscent of systems used by other automakers, such as Audi. In this case, diesel vehicles were equipped with software designed to improve emissions when the engine was on and the steering wheel was untouched, as might occur in a laboratory environment.
At the time of the initial findings, BMW denied that it had used an emissions test tampering device in its diesel vehicles. However, Bild now reports that an investigation has been launched by Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA), the German federal transport regulator.
BMW has not yet responded to our request for comment and has told others that it will not comment or provide details about the KBA investigation while it is ongoing. However, Bild cites internal documents suggesting BMW is trying to dismiss the allegations as a ‘production error’.
If successful, the company may only have to recall the vehicles in question. However, if the KBA finds evidence of fraud, it can seek civil and criminal penalties and look again at BMW’s diesel vehicles to see if more vehicles were involved.
