Ohio Attorney General announces $150M settlement with Mercedes-Benz
The Ohio Attorney General announced in a news release on Monday, December 22, 2025, that a nearly $150 million settlement had been reached with Mercedes-Benz USA and its parent company, Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
The release outlines that the company had allegedly misled customers and violated environmental laws.
A coalition of 50 attorneys general found that Mercedes sold diesel vehicles with alleged hidden software designed to cheat emissions tests. This would have allowed the vehicle to release more pollution during driving than the law allows.
Under the settlement, Mercedes will pay $120 million to the states impacted. An additional $29.6 million will be waived if the company completes a consumer relief program.
Ohio will receive more than $2.1 million as part of the settlement.
As part of a consumer relief program, Mercedes would have to:
- Fix or permanently remove affected vehicles from the road with no cost to owners
- Provide an extended warranty after repairs
- Pay $2,000 to each eligible vehicle owner
Furthermore, the settlement requires Mercedes to change its business practices, including a ban on misleading marketing and false claims about emissions compliance.
"Mercedes took a bypass around the law at the expense of consumers and the air we all breathe," said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Yost continued," It's not that hard to follow the rules."
Between 2008 and 2016, Mercedes sold more than 211,000 diesel cars and vans across the United States, including more than 7,600 vehicles in Ohio, equipped with software known as "defeat devices."
These devices could allegedly make the vehicles appear clean during emissions testing but turn off pollution controls during normal driving.
As a result, the vehicles could release excessive levels of nitrogen oxide, a pollutant that contributes to smog.
