MB BlueTEC Settlement



 

The Deadlines to File a Claim Have Passed.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

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  • Attorneys representing owners and lessees of certain Mercedes-Benz and Sprinter BlueTEC vehicles filed a class action lawsuit against the Mercedes Defendants and the Bosch Defendants, which are collectively referred to as the “Defendants.” The people who sued are called the “Plaintiffs.”

    Plaintiffs allege that the Subject Vehicles were equipped with emission control systems that caused the Subject Vehicles to emit more nitrogen oxides (“NOx”) than consumers reasonably expected, and more NOx than was permitted under federal and state clean air laws. Plaintiffs also claim that the Defendants intentionally misled consumers about the qualities and characteristics of the Subject Vehicles.

    The case is before Judge Kevin McNulty of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (the “Court”). The case is known as In re Mercedes-Benz Emissions Litigation, No. 2:16-cv-881-KM-ESK (D.N.J.) (the “Action” or “Class Action”). The Court granted Final Approval of the Class Action Settlements on July 12, 2021.

    Under the Class Action Settlements, the Mercedes Defendants and Bosch Defendants have each agreed to make cash payments to certain former owners and lessees of Subject Vehicles, and certain current owners and lessees of Subject Vehicles who have Approved Emission Modifications (“AEMs”) installed in their vehicles. 

    A complete copy of each of the Class Action Settlements is available on the Important Documents page.

  • The US-CA Consent Decree provides AEMs, which are updates to the software in certain Mercedes-Benz and Sprinter BlueTEC II vehicles’ emissions control systems and to certain related hardware, as well as a robust extended warranty for vehicles that receive the AEM. EPA and CARB have approved AEMs for the entire BlueTEC II fleet. 

    Click here to check for more details about AEM availabilty for your Subject Vehicle. For more details about the AEMs and Extended Modification Warranty, please visit bluetecupdate.mbusa.com (if you own or lease a passenger car), bluetecupdate.mbvans.com (if you own or lease a Mercedes-Benz-branded Sprinter), or bluetecupdate.freightlinersprinterusa.com (if you own or lease a Freightliner-branded Sprinter).

    Under the US-CA Consent Decree, owners and lessees of Subject Vehicles that are operable and either registered in the United States or its territories, or held by a dealer in the United States or its territories, can receive the AEM and an Extended Modification Warranty for the modified vehicle, free of charge to them, regardless of whether they are Class Members or submit a claim for a Class Member Payment.

    A complete copy of the US-CA Consent Decree and additional information is available here and at bluetecupdate.mbusa.com, bluetecupdate.mbvans.com, and bluetecupdate.freightlinersprinterusa.com.

  • You are automatically included in the Class Action Settlements if you qualify as a Class Member and do not exclude yourself by “opting out” from the Class. The Class is composed of all current and former owners or lessees of Subject Vehicles who:

    • On or before September 14, 2020 owned or leased and Registered a Subject Vehicle;

    or

    • After September 14, 2020 begin owning or leasing and Register a Subject Vehicle for which an AEM has not been installed.

     

    The Class includes automobile dealers and resellers who meet either of the above qualifications for Class membership (including registration of the Subject Vehicle).

     

    The following persons (including individuals and entities) are excluded from the Class, even if they meet the Class definition:

    • The Mercedes Defendants and their respective officers, directors, and employees; the Mercedes Defendants’ respective corporate affiliates and corporate affiliates’ officers, directors, and employees; their respective distributors and distributors’ officers, directors, and employees;
    • Judicial officers and their immediate family members and associated court staff assigned to this Action;
    • Persons who have settled with, released, or otherwise had claims adjudicated on the merits against the Mercedes Defendants arising from the same core allegations or circumstances as the BlueTEC Diesel Matter (as defined in Section 2.6 of the Mercedes Class Action Settlement); and
    • All Persons otherwise in the Class who timely and properly exclude themselves from the Class as provided in the Class Action Agreement.

     

    If, after reading the Notice, you are still not sure whether you are included in the Class Action Settlements, you may send questions via e-mail to info@mbbluetecsettlement.com, or via regular mail to:

    MB Blue Tec Settlement
    c/o JND Legal Administration
    PO Box 91310
    Seattle, WA 98111

  • Current and former owners and lessees of Subject Vehicles who filed a valid claim before the applicable deadlines may be eligible for payments.1 If a current owner or lessee purchased or leased and Registered their vehicle on or before September 14, 2020 (an "Eligible Current Owner or Lessee”), they are eligible for Owner/Lessee Payments, and if a current owner or lessee purchased or leased and Registered their vehicle after September 14, 2020 (an "Eligible Post-Announcement Owner or Lessee”) (collectively, “Eligible Current Owner/Lessee”), they are eligible for a Post-Announcement Owner/Lessee Payment. Owner/Lessee Payments and Post-Announcement Owner/Lessee Payments under the Mercedes Class Action Settlement are intended to encourage installation of the AEMs. Eligible Former Owners/Lessees are eligible only for Former Owner/Lessee Payments.

    The table below summarizes the eligibility categories and the benefits that Class Members are eligible to receive. The Class Action Settlements describe all of the eligibility criteria and payment details.

    1The Bosch Defendants and their officers, directors and employees, and the Bosch Defendants’ corporate affiliates and corporate affiliates’ officers, directors and employees do not qualify for payment benefits.

     

    Category Definition Class Member Payment (excluding possible additional payments)
    Eligible Current Owner or Lessee

    Owned or leased and Registered a Subject Vehicle on or before September 14, 2020 AND owns or leases that vehicle at the time the AEM is installed

    $3,290 (Mercedes Class Action Settlement)

    +
    $225 (Bosch Class Action Settlement)*
    If no other Class Member submits a Valid Claim for the same vehicle

    OR
    $2,467.50 (Mercedes Class Action Settlement)

    +

    $168.75 (Bosch Class Action Settlement)*

    If an Eligible Former Owner/Lessee submits a Valid Claim for the same vehicle

    *The Bosch Class Action Settlement payments have been reduced by 25% for attorneys' fees and costs awarded by the Court (See FAQ 24)
    Eligible Post-Announcement Owner or Lessee

    Owns or leases a Registered Subject Vehicle at the time the AEM is installed, but purchased or leased that vehicle after September 14, 2020

    $2,467.50 per Valid Claim (Mercedes Class Action Settlement)

    +

    $168.75 (Bosch Class Action Settlement)*

    *The Bosch Class Action Settlement payments have been reduced by 25% for attorneys' fees and costs awarded by the Court (See FAQ 24)
    Eligible Former
    Owner/ Lessee
    Owned or leased and Registered a Subject Vehicle on or before September 14, 2020 and then sold, transferred, or surrendered the vehicle by July 12, 2021. $822.50 (Mercedes Class Action Settlement)

    +

    $56.25 (Bosch Class Action Settlement)*

    if no other Eligible Former Owner/ Lessee submits a Valid Claim for the same vehicle

    OR
    $822.50 (Mercedes Class Action Settlement)

    +

    $56.25 (Bosch Class Action Settlement)*

    each amount divided equally among the number of Valid Claims for the same vehicle submitted by Eligible Former Owners/ Lessees

    * The Bosch Class Action Settlement payments have been reduced by 25% for attorneys' fees and costs awarded by the Court (See FAQ 24)

     

    Eligible Current Owners/Lessees must have had an AEM installed before they submitted a claim for a Class Member Payment, and must have submitted proof of the AEM installation to the Settlement Administrator to receive a Class Member Payment.

    AEMs may be installed free of charge to you at an authorized dealership of the same brand as the Subject Vehicle (i.e., Mercedes-Benz or Freightliner). The Bosch Defendants' obligations under the Bosch Class Action Settlement are limited solely to the payment of not more than $63.3 million in accordance with Section 11 of the Bosch Class Action Settlement, inclusive of attorneys' fees, costs, and expenses, if any, as may be ordered as provided under the Bosch Class Action Settlement.

  • If you owned or leased and Registered a Subject Vehicle on or before September 14, 2020, you are a Class Member. If you sold or otherwise transferred ownership of your vehicle, or terminated your lease (a) by July 12, 2021, and (b) before the AEM is installed, you may be eligible to receive a Former Owner/Lessee Payment.

    TO OBTAIN A CLASS MEMBER PAYMENT, Eligible Former Owners/Lessees MUST have submitted a complete and Valid Claim by July 12, 2021. Please visit this website for updates.

    Certain Members of the Class who no longer own or lease their vehicles may be eligible to receive an Owner/Lessee Payment instead of a Former Owner/Lessee Payment. If you (a) had the AEM installed in your Registered Subject Vehicle before you sold it (or otherwise transferred ownership) or terminated your lease, or (b) previously leased your Registered Subject Vehicle, but then you bought it and still owned it at the time the AEM was installed, you may be eligible to receive an Owner/Lessee Payment or Post-Announcement Owner/Lessee Payment (as applicable).

    TO OBTAIN A CLASS MEMBER PAYMENT, Eligible Current Owners/Lessees MUST have had the AEM installed in their vehicle, and MUST have submitted a complete and Valid Claim by October 1, 2022. Eligible Current Owners/Lessees who missed the claim deadline will not receive a Class Member Payment.

    If you owned or leased a Registered Subject Vehicle on or before September 14, 2020 and then sell (or otherwise transfer ownership of) the vehicle or terminate your lease (a) after July 12, 2021 but (b) before the AEM is installed, you are a Class Member but you are not eligible for a Class Member Payment.

  • If you began owning or leasing and Registered a Subject Vehicle for which an AEM has not been installed after September 14, 2020, you are a Class Member. You may be eligible for a Post-Announcement Owner/Lessee Payment if you continue to own or lease the vehicle on the date the AEM is installed.

    If you began owning or leasing and Registered a Subject Vehicle for which an AEM has not been installed after September 14, 2020 and then sell or otherwise transfer ownership or possession before the AEM is installed, you are not eligible for a Class Member Payment. To receive a payment, the AEM must have been installed before you transferred ownership or possession. 

  • If you stayed in the Class and did not exclude yourself from the Class, you cannot sue the Mercedes Defendants or Bosch Defendants or be part of any other lawsuit against the Mercedes Defendants or Bosch Defendants about the issues in this case. Full copies of the Class Action Settlements are available on the Important Documents page of this website and describe the claims that you gave up if you did not exclude yourself from a Class Action Settlement.

    You remain a Class member under both of the Class Action Settlements unless you excluded yourself (“opt out”) from the Class.

    If you remain a member of the Class, you released the Mercedes Defendants from any claims set forth below and gave up the right to bring or continue any action against the Mercedes Defendants relating to the claims resolved by the Mercedes Class Action Settlement. If you remain a member of the Class, you released the Bosch Defendants from any claims set forth below and gave up the right to bring or continue any action against the Bosch Defendants relating to the claims resolved by the Bosch Class Action Settlement.

    A copy of the Class Release sections from the Mercedes Class Action Settlement is copied below. Substantially the same Class Release sections appear in the Bosch Class Action Settlement and provide correspondingly broad and comprehensive releases of Bosch Released Parties. Please review the Class Release Provisions in the Bosch Class Action Settlement Agreement on the Important Documents page for details, which will apply to you if you did not exclude yourself from the Class. In addition, each Class Member who submitted a Claim Form was required to execute an Individual Release, which covers the same claims as the Class Release, before receiving any Class Member Payment under the Class Action Settlements. Because Class Members released a wide range of claims, please carefully read the following Class Release, which will apply to you if you did not exclude yourself from the Class:

    Mercedes Class Action Settlement Release Provisions:

    • In consideration for the Class Action Settlement, Class Members, on behalf of themselves and their agents, heirs, executors and administrators, successors, assigns, insurers, attorneys (including any attorney engaged by Class Members who is not Class Counsel), representatives, shareholders, owners associations, and any other legal or natural persons who may claim by, through, or under them (the “Releasing Parties”), fully, finally, irrevocably, and forever release, waive, discharge, relinquish, settle, and acquit any and all claims, demands, actions, or causes of action of any kind or nature whatsoever, whether in law or in equity, contractual, quasi-contractual or statutory, known or unknown, direct, indirect or consequential, liquidated or unliquidated, past, present or future, foreseen or unforeseen, developed or undeveloped, contingent or non-contingent, suspected or unsuspected, whether or not concealed or hidden, arising from, in whole or in part, or in any way related to the BlueTEC Diesel Matter, including without limitation (1) any claims or allegations that are, were, or could have been asserted in the Action; (2) any claims for fines, penalties, economic damages, punitive damages, exemplary damages, statutory damages, liens, injunctive relief, attorneys’ fees (except as provided in Section 11 of this Class Action Agreement), expert, consultant, or other litigation fees or costs; or (3) any other liabilities that were or could have been asserted in any civil, administrative, or other proceeding, including arbitration (“Released Claims”). The Released Claims include without limitation any and all such claims, demands, actions, or causes of action regardless of the legal or equitable theory or nature under which they are based or advanced including without limitation legal and/or equitable theories under any federal, state, provincial, local, tribal, administrative, or international law, or statute, ordinance, code, rule, regulation, contract, common law, equity, or any other source, and whether based in strict liability, negligence, gross negligence, punitive damages, nuisance, trespass, breach of warranty, misrepresentation, breach of contract, fraud, or any other legal or equitable theory, whether existing under the laws of the United States, a state, territory, or possession of the United States, or of any other foreign or domestic state, territory, county, city, or municipality, or any other legal or governmental body, whether existing now or arising in the future, that arise from, in whole or in part, or in any way relate to the BlueTEC Diesel Matter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Class Action Agreement does not release any claims for wrongful death or personal injury.
    • “BlueTEC Diesel Matter” means all claims arising from or in any way relating to: (1) the design, manufacture, assembly, testing, development, installation, performance, presence, disclosure, or nondisclosure of any auxiliary emission control device (“AECD”) (as defined in 40 C.F.R. § 86.1803-01) or defeat device (as defined in 40 C.F.R. § 86.1803-01 or 42 U.S.C. § 7522(a)(3)(B)) in any Subject Vehicle, as that term is defined in Section 2.70 of the Class Action Agreement; (2) the design, manufacture, assembly, testing, development, installation, or performance of emission control equipment and methods and related hardware or software in Subject Vehicles, including Diesel Exhaust Fluid and associated equipment, Selective Catalytic Reduction systems, electronic control units, and emission-related software programming, coding, and calibrations; (3) overpayment or diminution in value related to the design, manufacture, assembly, testing, development, installation, or performance of emission control equipment and methods and related hardware or software in Subject Vehicles; (4) the actual or alleged noncompliance of any Subject Vehicle with state or federal environmental or emissions standards; (5) the marketing or advertisement of the emissions or environmental characteristics or performance of any Subject Vehicle, including as clean diesel, clean, low emissions, green, environmentally friendly, and/or compliant with state or federal environmental or emissions standards; (6) the marketing or advertisement of the fuel efficiency, fuel economy, mileage, power, drivability, or performance of any Subject Vehicle, to the extent related in any way to the emissions performance, the design, manufacture, assembly, testing, development, installation, or performance of emission control equipment and methods, and related hardware or software; (7) any badges, signage, or BlueTEC labels on the Subject Vehicles, including any badges or signage placed on the Subject Vehicles at the point of sale or in an advertisement; (8) performance of the AEM in a Subject Vehicle, exclusive of the Extended Modification Warranty and any “Lemon Law” protections available to Class Members; (9) whether the Subject Vehicles meet or exceed (or met or exceeded) consumer expectations, to the extent related in any way to the emissions performance, the design, manufacture, assembly, testing, development, installation, or performance of emission control equipment, and methods and related hardware or software; or (10) the subject matter of the Action as well as events or allegations related to the Action, with respect to the Subject Vehicles. Without limiting the foregoing, “BlueTEC Diesel Matter” includes allegations that (i) are related to any Subject Vehicle, (ii) relate to conduct by a Released Party that predates the date of the Class Action Settlement, and (iii) formed or relate to the factual basis for a claim that was made or could have been made in the Complaint.
    • The Released Parties include, without limitation, (1) Daimler AG, Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, Mercedes-Benz AG, and any former, present, and future owners, shareholders (direct or indirect), members (direct or indirect), directors, officers, members of management or supervisory boards, employees, attorneys, affiliates, parent companies (direct or indirect), subsidiaries (direct or indirect), predecessors, and successors of any of the foregoing (the “Entities”); (2) any and all contractors, subcontractors, joint venture partners, consultants, auditors, dealers, and suppliers of the Entities; (3) any and all persons and entities indemnified by any Entity with respect to the Action or the BlueTEC Diesel Matter; (4) any and all other persons and entities involved in the design, research, development, manufacture, assembly, testing, sale, leasing, repair, warranting, marketing, advertising, public relations, promotion, or distribution of any Subject Vehicle, even if such persons are not specifically named in Section 10.2 of the Class Action Agreement; (5) Settlement Administrator; (6) lenders, creditors, financial institutions, or any other parties that financed any purchase or lease of a Subject Vehicle; (7) for each of the foregoing, their respective former, present, and future affiliates, parent companies, subsidiaries, predecessors, successors, shareholders, indemnitors, subrogees, spouses, joint venturers, general or limited partners, attorneys, assigns, principals, officers, directors, members of management or supervisory boards, employees, members, agents, representatives, trustees, insurers, reinsurers, heirs, beneficiaries, wards, estates, executors, administrators, receivers, conservators, personal representatives, divisions, dealers, and suppliers; and (8) any other person or entity that is or could be alleged to be responsible or liable in any way whatsoever, whether directly or indirectly, for the BlueTEC Diesel Matter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Released Parties do not include the Non-Settling Defendants Robert Bosch GmbH and Robert Bosch LLC.
    • For the avoidance of doubt, Class Counsel, the Settlement Class Representatives, and Class Members expressly understand and acknowledge that they may hereafter discover claims presently unknown or unsuspected, or facts in addition to or different from those that they now know or believe to be true, related to the BlueTEC Diesel Matter, the Released Claims, and/or the Release herein. Nevertheless, it is the intention of Class Counsel, the Settlement Class Representatives, and Class Members in executing this Class Action Agreement to fully, finally, irrevocably, and forever release, waive, discharge, relinquish, settle, and acquit all Released Claims which exist, hereafter may exist, or might have existed (whether or not previously or currently asserted in any action or proceeding).
    • In exchange for the Benefits, Class Members release their potential claims under the Trade Regulation Rule Concerning the Preservation of Consumers’ Claims and Defenses, 16 C.F.R. § 433.2 (the “Holder Rule”), relating to the BlueTEC Diesel Matter.
    • Settlement Class Representatives expressly understand and acknowledge, and Class Members will be deemed to understand and acknowledge, Section 1542 of the California Civil Code, which provides: “A general release does not extend to claims which the creditor does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release, which if known by him or her must have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor.” Each Settlement Class Representative expressly acknowledges that they have been advised by Class Counsel of the contents and effect of Section 1542 of the California Civil Code and that they have considered the possibility that the number or magnitude of all claims may not currently be known. To ensure that this Release is interpreted fully in accordance with its terms, Class Members expressly waive and relinquish any and all rights and benefits that they may have under Section 1542 of the California Civil Code to the extent that Section 1542 of the California Civil Code may be applicable to the Release. Class Members likewise expressly waive and relinquish any rights or benefits of any law of any state, territory, county, municipality, or city of the United States, federal law or principle of common law, or of international, foreign, or tribal law, which is similar, comparable, analogous, or equivalent to Section 1542 of the California Civil Code to the extent that such laws or principles may be applicable to the Release.
    • Each Class Member who submits a Claim shall be required to execute an Individual Release, in the form attached as Exhibit 5 to the Class Action Agreement, as a precondition to receiving a Class Member Payment. Consistent with the Release provided in the Class Action Agreement, the Individual Release will provide that the Class Member releases all of the Released Parties from any and all Released Claims (as described in Section 10 of the Class Action Agreement) arising out of or related to the BlueTEC Diesel Matter. The Individual Release shall remain effective even if the Court does not enter the Final Approval Order, the Final Approval Order is reversed and/or vacated on appeal, or if this Class Action Agreement is abrogated or otherwise voided in whole or in part. The Individual Release binds Class Members when they receive a Class Member Payment.
    • Class Members expressly agree that the Release and the Final Approval Order, are, will be, and may be raised as a complete defense to, and will preclude, any action or proceeding specified in, or involving claims encompassed by, the Release. Class Members shall not now or hereafter institute, maintain, prosecute, assert, and/or cooperate in the institution, commencement, filing, or prosecution of any suit, action, and/or other proceeding against the Released Parties with respect to the claims, causes of action, and/or any other matters subject to this Release. To the extent that they have initiated, or caused to be initiated, any suit, action, or proceeding not already encompassed by the Action, Class Members shall promptly cause their claims in any such suit, action, or proceeding to be dismissed with prejudice. If a Class Member commences, files, initiates, or institutes any legal action or other proceeding for any Released Claim against any Released Party in any federal or state court, arbitral tribunal, or administrative or other forum, (1) such legal action or other proceeding shall be dismissed with prejudice and at that Class Member’s cost; (2) any refusal or failure to immediately dismiss such claims shall provide a basis for any Released Party to seek an injunction, sanctions, or other appropriate relief; and (3) the respective Released Party shall be entitled to recover any and all reasonable related costs and expenses from that Class Member arising as a result of that Class Member’s breach of their obligations under this Release. Within five business days of the Post-Appeal Date, Class Counsel will dismiss the Mercedes Defendants from the Complaint in this Action with prejudice.
    • The Benefits pursuant to the Class Action Agreement are in full, complete, and total satisfaction of all of the Released Claims against the Released Parties. The Benefits are sufficient and adequate consideration for each and every term of this Release, and this Release shall be irrevocably binding upon Settlement Class Representatives and Class Members.
    • The Release shall be effective with respect to all Releasing Parties, including all Class Members, regardless of whether those Class Members ultimately submit a Claim or receive a Class Member Payment under this Class Action Agreement.
    • Upon the Effective Date, Released Parties absolutely and unconditionally release and forever discharge the Settlement Class Representatives, Class Members, the Mercedes Defendants’ counsel, and Class Counsel from any and all claims relating to the institution or prosecution of the Action.
  • Class Members must have signed an Individual Release and submitted it with their Claim Form to receive a Class Member Payment. The Individual Release will release the same claims as the Class Release discussed in FAQ 8. However, if you execute the Individual Release and receive a Class Member Payment under the Class Action Settlements, you will release the claims discussed in FAQ 8 even if that Class Action Settlement is terminated or if the settlement is appealed and overturned. Because the Individual Release will remain effective in these circumstances, the Mercedes Defendants and Bosch Defendants agreed that the Settlement Administrator could begin making Class Member Payments after the Court grants Final Approval to the Class Action Settlements, without waiting for the outcome of any appeal.

  • Proposals for emissions modifications for Subject Vehicles ("AEMs") were submitted at different times for EPA’s and CARB’s approval under the terms of the US-CA Consent Decree. Within 15 days of EPA’s and CARB’s approval of an emissions modification, customers began scheduling appointments at authorized dealerships to install the AEM. You can check AEM availability here, where you can review a list of all Subject Vehicle models that are ready for the AEM installation. All AEMs are currently available, and current owners/lessees were notified at the time the AEM became available.

    For more details about the AEMs and Extended Modification Warranty, please visit bluetecupdate.mbusa.com (if you own or lease a passenger car), bluetecupdate.mbvans.com (if you own or lease a Mercedes-Benz-branded Sprinter), or bluetecupdate.freightlinersprinterusa.com (if you own or lease a Freightliner-branded Sprinter).

  • No. AEMs are free of charge to you at an authorized dealership.

  • Call your preferred authorized dealership to schedule an appointment to have the AEM installed. If you are a Mercedes-Benz vehicle owner, you can check mbusa.com/en/dealers for authorized dealerships in your area. If you are a Freightliner Sprinter owner, you can check freightlinersprinterusa.com/freightliner/shopping-tools/find-a-dealer for authorized dealerships in your area.

  • If you own or lease a Registered Subject Vehicle, to receive a payment under the Class Action Settlements, you must have completed your AEM installation and submitted a Valid Claim by October 1, 2022

  • If you altered the emission control system in your vehicle, you may still be eligible to receive the AEM and may still be a Class Member under the Class Action Settlements. However, if the AEM cannot be installed on your vehicle because of alterations to the emission control system or if the alterations are likely to substantially affect the operation of your vehicle with the AEM installed, you may not be eligible for the AEM unless you first reverse the alterations, at your own expense (see the US-CA Consent Decree and Section 2.53 of the Mercedes Class Action Settlement on the Important Documents page for additional details).

  • Pursuant to the US-CA Consent Decree, your vehicle must be operable to receive the AEM. That means the vehicle must be able to be driven under its own engine power (see the US-CA Consent Decree and Section 2.53 of the Mercedes Class Action Settlement on the Important Documents page for additional details).

  • Registration at the time the AEM was installed in your vehicle (or, if you are making a claim as an Eligible Former Owner/Lessee, when you owned/leased the vehicle) is a requirement to file a Valid Claim on that vehicle under the Class Action Settlements.

  • Please refer to the terms of the Extended Modification Warranty in the US-CA Consent Decree on the Important Documents page, bluetecupdate.mbusa.com (if you own or lease a passenger car), bluetecupdate.mbvans.com (if you own or lease a Mercedes-Benz-branded Sprinter), or bluetecupdate.freightlinersprinterusa.com (if you own or lease a Freightliner-branded Sprinter).

  • To claim a Class Member Payment under the Class Action Settlements, you must have submitted a Valid Claim by the applicable deadlines. Former owners must have submitted a claim by July 12, 2021 and Current Owners must have submitted a claim by October 1, 2022.

    You only needed to file one Claim Form in the Mercedes Class Action Settlement and that Claim Form also will automatically be treated as a claim in the Bosch Class Action Settlement.

  • The Claims Program began on March 23, 2021. Eligible Former Owners/Lessees must have submitted a Valid Claim by July 12, 2021. Eligible Current Owners/Lessees must have had the AEM installed in their Registered Subject Vehicle and submitted a Valid Claim by October 1, 2022. 

    You can visit the VIN Eligibility and AEM Availability page on this website, where you can check if an AEM is available for your Subject Vehicle. Please continue to check this website for updated information.

     

  • The deadlines  to submit a claim depended on whether you were an Eligible Current Owner/Lessee or an Eligible Former Owner/Lessee.

    The deadline for Eligible Current Owners/Lessees to have the AEM installed in their Registered Subject Vehicle and submit a Valid Claim was October 1, 2022

    The deadline for Eligible Former Owners/Lessees to submit a Valid Claim was July 12, 2021.  Please visit this website for updates.

    Class Members who did not submit a Valid Claim by the applicable deadline will not receive a Class Member Payment.

  • The deadline to submit documentation was December 31, 2022, and has passed. We are no longer accepting supporting documentation. In order to have a Valid Claim, you were required to submit:

    • Proof of current or former vehicle ownership or lease;
    • Dates you owned or leased the Registered Subject Vehicle;
    • A copy of your driver’s license or other government-issued identification;
    • Proof of vehicle registration, including date of registration;
    • For current owners and lessees, the repair order or invoice you receive when the AEM is performed on your Registered Subject Vehicle in order to prove that your vehicle received the AEM; and
    • If submitting a claim for the transportation reimbursement, a receipt establishing the transportation costs for trips to and from the authorized dealership.
  • If you are a Class Member (as explained in FAQ 3) and you did nothing, you will not get any payment from either of the Class Action Settlements, but you will remain in the Class and you will be bound by the Court’s decisions. You gave up (or “released”) all claims that have been made and all related claims that could have been made in this lawsuit. This means that you agreed to fully, finally, and forever release, relinquish, and discharge all Released Claims against the Released Parties, as set forth above in response to FAQ 7.

    Unless you affirmatively excluded yourself from the Class by opting out of the Class, you won’t be able to sue or be part of any other lawsuit against the Mercedes Defendants and Bosch Defendants about the claims in this lawsuit ever again, regardless of whether you submitted a claim or had the AEM installed in your Registered Subject Vehicle. 

    If you have any questions, you can contact the lawyers listed in FAQ 23 for free to discuss, or you can talk to another lawyer of your own choosing at your own expense.

  • The Settlement Administrator has completed the process of reviewing all claims and has made final determinations on each claim’s status. The mailing of Class Member Payments to Class Members who submitted timely and Valid Claims commenced in 2021, and is nearly complete.

  • Yes. The Court has appointed lawyers to represent the Class as “Class Counsel.” You will not be charged for contacting these lawyers. Please contact them at shelby@hbsslaw.com or 206-623-7292. They are:

    James E. Cecchi
    Carella, Byrne, Cecchi, Olstein, Brody & Agnello, P.C.
    5 Becker Farm Road
    Roseland, NJ 07068

    Steve W. Berman
    Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
    1301 2nd Avenue,
    Suite 2000
    Seattle, WA 98101

    Christopher A. Seeger
    Seeger Weiss LLP
    55 Challenger Road,
    6th Floor
    Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660

  • Under the Mercedes Class Action Settlement, any reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs awarded to Class Counsel by the Court were paid separately by the Mercedes Defendants in addition to the Class Member Payments, and did not reduce benefits to Class Members. Under the Bosch Class Action Settlement, any reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs awarded to Class Counsel by the Court are paid from, and reduce, individual Class Member Payments by no more than 25% each.

    In the July 12, 2021 Order Granting Final Approval of the Class Action Settlement, the Court awarded $80,200,000 in attorneys’ fees and $3,200,000 in costs from the Mercedes Defendants. The Court also awarded attorneys’ fees and costs in an amount equal to up to 25% of the Valid Claims submitted in the Bosch Class Action Settlement. The Court also awarded each of the named Plaintiffs representing the Class (the “Settlement Class Representatives”) a “service award” of up to $5,000 for their work in this litigation. That Order is available on the  Important Documents page.

    The Mercedes Defendants and Bosch Defendants will not pay attorneys’ fees and costs to any attorneys other than Class Counsel and attorneys working under Class Counsel’s direction. If you choose to hire attorneys that have not been appointed as Class Counsel, you may incur additional charges, subject to your agreement with your personally retained attorneys. No attorneys other than Class Counsel or other attorneys authorized by Class Counsel to perform work in connection with this Action will receive fees or expenses from the Mercedes Defendants under the Class Action Settlement or any fee-shifting statute.

  • The Notice summarizes the Class Action Settlements. More details are in the Class Action Settlements and the US-CA Consent Decree. You can get copies of all of these documents on the Important Documents page. You may send questions via e-mail to info@mbbluetecsettlement.com or via regular mail to:

    MB Blue Tec Settlement
    c/o JND Legal Administration
    PO Box 91310
    Seattle, WA 98111

    You can access the Court docket in this case, for a fee, through the Court’s Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system at https://ecf.njd.uscourts.gov, or by visiting the office of the Clerk of the Court for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Court holidays.

 

 

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT OR COUNSEL FOR DAIMLER AG, MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC, ROBERT BOSCH GMBH, OR ROBERT BOSCH LLC REGARDING THE NOTICE.

For More Information

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Mail

MB Blue Tec Settlement
c/o JND Legal Administration
PO Box 91310
Seattle, WA 98111