Arizona AG Kris Mayes sues Cummins, FCA for false clean emission claims of truck engines

PHOENIX — Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a lawsuit against Cummins, Inc. and FCA US, LLC on Thursday for allegedly scamming Arizonans on falsely advertised clean emission vehicles, a press release said.

Mayes claimed that the two companies did not disclose that their vehicles had illegal emissions defeat devices installed in them.

The emissions defeat devices were red flags revealing that the diesel trucks were not clean at all.

“Deceptive practices that harm our environment and deceive consumers will not be tolerated,” Mayes said. “By promoting their vehicles as eco-friendly while secretly violating emissions standards, Cummins and FCA have betrayed the trust of Arizonans and violated our state’s consumer protection laws.”

Mayes’ lawsuit charged the two defendants with implanting the emissions defeat devices on 2013-19 Dodge RAM 2500 and 3500 trucks equipped with 6.7-liter engines.

These models were allegedly tested to ensure they would pass EPA emissions testing, but the filed claim said this procedure did not comply with emissions standards.

The release said the illegal defeat devices caused the vehicles to emit high levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which, if inhaled, can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular issues.

The Department of Justice estimated that thousands of tons of NOx emissions were released as a result of the device implementation.

Mayes said that Cummins allegedly knew its vehicles had the devices installed and failed to disclose this information when applying for certificates of compliance to sell product in the United States.