High Court rules on Ford Dieselgate claims

In a landmark decision, the High Court has permitted the Johnson Law Group and Ford Dieselgate claimants to amend their case against Ford, allowing claims for a SOx defect linked to certain diesel vehicles. In the case of Davies and Ors. v Ford Motor Company and Ors. [2026] EWHC 1531 (KB), High Court Judge Mr Justice Bright highlighted that Ford's attempts to introduce “delay, complexity and expense” were essentially aimed to “deter individual litigants from pursuing what may be valid claims.” The amendments focus on the ‘Lean NOx Trap’, a device in some Ford vehicles intended to mitigate harmful NOx emissions, which has been reportedly failing due to the accumulation of sulphur oxides (SOx), resulting in higher pollution levels.

The On Board Diagnostics systems inside these Ford vehicles have also failed to signal when malfunctions occur, leaving consumers unaware of the extent to which their vehicles were polluting. Claimants assert that Ford has breached several duties and engaged in misleading practices, warranting compensation for the affected consumers. Ford's brief to block the claim was firmly rejected by the High Court, with Mr Justice Bright stating that the company’s arguments for additional procedural delays presumably aimed to make some claimants reconsider their decision to pursue litigation.

The claimants successfully argued for the amendments to the case to include SOx-related claims, which are considered to have been filed when the application was made on 10 April 2026. The High Court's ruling ensures that the SOx claims against Ford will proceed to a trial, adding further complications to the challenges the automaker faces due to ongoing Dieselgate emissions litigation. Michael Burke, a partner at Johnson Law Group expressed satisfaction with the ruling, stating, “We are pleased the court has permitted our application and that these claims should be heard as part of the on-going Ford NOx Emissions Litigation.” He further remarked on the irresponsibility of manufacturers aiming to obscure their failings, affirming their commitment to holding Ford accountable for the emissions issue stemming from the SOx defect.