The U.S. Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against the German car-maker Volkswagen Monday. This comes after the maker allegedly violating the Clean Air Act by installing illegal devices to impair emission control systems in nearly 600,000 vehicles.
based on the complaint, Volkswagen could face fines exceeding U.S.$90 billion, as much as U.S.$37,000 per vehicle. The lawsuit accuses Volkswagen of four counts of violation, including tampering with the emissions control system, and failing to report violations.
The Justice Department has also been investigating criminal fraud allegations against Volkswagen for misleading U.S. consumers and regulators. The car-maker’s shares in Frankfurt closed at 137.74 euros per share, down more than 4.7 percent.
