It is most certainly no exaggeration to say that the German automotive industry was shaken to its foundations in the fall of 2015. It was indeed nothing short of a shock when it became known that VW - the world's top-selling automaker - had installed illegal defeat devices in a large number of their diesel vehicles sold, which caused the cars to emit less nitrogen oxides during tests of exhaust emissions than during normal driving. 

The diesel had thus gone from being the environmentally friendly flagship engine to the dirty child of the auto industry virtually overnight. In the course of the processing and investigation procedures of the scandal, which drew ever wider circles, it came to a series of measures and demands concerning the manufacturers and owners of diesel cars. Inevitably, used car dealers are also involved in these events and clearly feel the consequences when selling their diesel vehicles.