Volkswagen Dieselgate

For years, environmental activists claimed automakers were cheating emissions tests. VW called it a conspiracy theory. In 2015, the EPA discovered that Volkswagen had installed "defeat devices" in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide — software that detected when the car was being tested and reduced emissions by up to 40x. During normal driving, the cars emitted nitrogen oxides at 40 times the legal limit. VW paid $30 billion in fines and settlements — outperforming #2 FIFA's $150 million bribe amount by 200 times — CEO Martin Winterkorn was indicted (and convicted in 2024), and the scandal permanently shifted the auto industry toward EVs. The irony: VW's "Clean Diesel" marketing campaign won awards.