Carmaker Cheating on Emissions Almost as Old as Pollution Tests
- Volkswagen accused of evading pollution controls in 1973 case
- Truck-engine makers paid over $1 billion to settle 1998 action
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Almost as soon as governments began testing vehicle emissions, automakers found ways to cheat.
In 1970s some cars were found to be rigged with “defeat devices” that turned off the emission systems when the air conditioning was turned on. Others had sensors that activated pollution controls only at the temperature regulators used during the tests.