The French car manufacturer Renault will be judged in court for ‘aggravated deception’ as a result of the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal that also has repercussions in France. Renault responded, “that it would defend its innocence, the professionalism, and the ethics of its 100,000 employees.”

The Renault brand is the second automaker to be sent to trial in France, after Germany’s Volkswagen. In total, four manufacturers, Fiat-Chrysler, Peugeot-Citroën, Renault, and Volkswagen, are embroiled in controversy in France due to this scandal, all of whom were formally charged in 2021.

For Renault, the investigating judge issued the committal order on Friday, which was served on the parties on Monday, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office, contacted by the French press agency AFP.

This committal is in line with the prosecutor’s recommendations made in June 2025. Renault’s trial is not expected for many months. The preliminary hearing, a procedural step that notably determines the dates, is scheduled for April 1, 2027.

‘Special calibration’

The manufacturer is suspected of having “specially calibrated” Euro 5 and Euro 6 vehicles sold between 2009 and 2017 to meet regulatory parameters during type-approval tests but not under normal driving conditions, according to the prosecutor’s indictment.

This alleged deception is aggravated by the fact that this calibration may have contributed to nitrogen oxide air pollution, “particularly increasing the risk of respiratory illnesses in humans.” The public prosecutor’s office described it as a “deliberate optimization strategy, adopted collectively.”

Renault’s response

Renault responded in a statement, asserting that it would defend “its innocence, the professionalism, and the ethics of its 100,000 employees” in court. “Renault vehicles have all and always been certified in accordance with applicable French and European laws and regulations,” the manufacturer added, arguing that the referral order “recognizes that Renault vehicles are not equipped with fraudulent devices.”

“This was recently confirmed by the High Court of Justice in London, which dismissed all claims brought against Renault by foreign hedge funds that are also participating in this French legal action in the cynical hope of financial gain,” the French automaker officially stated.

‘Fair compensation’

Representing a large number of companies, from SMEs to major corporations, as well as numerous public entities with significant fleets of diesel vehicles between 2009 and 2016, lawyers Marc Barennes and Romain Boulet expressed their satisfaction to AFP regarding the referral, hoping for their clients to “obtain a judgment against Renault for fair compensation for their losses.” ”

Following the investigations, these events are likely to have involved 1,768,006 Renault Euro 5 diesel vehicles and 294,790 Renault Euro 6 diesel vehicles sold in France, for a total of 2,062,796 vehicles and an estimated turnover of €32.9 billion,” they stated.

‘Dangerous to health’

“These manipulations have resulted in the use of these vehicles being dangerous to health,” the lawyers also noted, citing the impact of NOx emissions produced by diesel vehicles on respiration and the bronchi, in particular. Volkswagen, for its part, was referred to criminal court last January for “deception, by a legal entity, concerning goods that entail a danger to human and animal health.”

A preliminary hearing in the French case against the German manufacturer is scheduled for December 18. The charges against it cover the period from 2009 to 2016 and concern nearly one million EA189 TDI 1.2, 1.6, and 2-liter diesel vehicles of the Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Seat, Audi, and Skoda brands.

Given the number of vehicles involved and the number of plaintiffs, these trials will be massive. Renault and Volkswagen face a fine of €750,000, which can be increased, proportionally to the benefit derived from the breach, to 10% of their average annual turnover.

Furthermore, a ban on engaging in the activity in question, or certain professional or commercial activities, may be imposed.

Others to follow

The Paris public prosecutor’s office has also requested that Fiat-Chrysler (or FCA) and Peugeot-Citroën (or PSA) be referred to trial. There was no Stellantis fusion yet at the time of the infractions. However, the final decision on whether to proceed to trial rests with the investigating judge.

“We welcome this news with satisfaction and now expect the court to determine all responsibilities,” commented François Lafforgue, who represents associations and owners in the Volkswagen case and could also represent civil parties in the Renault case.