Today Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee announced the county is set to receive north of $18 million in settlement of its claims over Volkswagen’s emissions-evading technology. The county was the first governmental entity in Texas to sue Volkswagen, giving it a leading role alongside the Texas Attorney General’s office in litigating the case and obtaining a settlement of all claims by governmental entities across the state.

“This settlement is a win for Harris County government, but more importantly for the people who live in this county and expect the companies that do business here to be good neighbors,” said Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee. “When people buy a car, they expect it to work as advertised, and they expect that the company that sold it to them will comply with federal and state laws. Consumers in Harris County should expect no less. Today’s settlement is about protecting consumers and holding companies that violate the law and illegally pollute our air accountable.”

Harris County and other governmental entities sued Volkswagen for violating the Clean Air Act through software that allowed diesel engines to cheat on emissions tests by reporting a lower level of toxic fumes. The $18 million payment is the county’s share of Volkswagen’s commitment to pay $85 million to governmental entities in Texas in settlement of their claims.

Commissioners Court will vote on acceptance of the settlement at its regular meeting tomorrow, August 8, 2023.