The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that owners of vehicles affected by the ‘dieselgate’ scandal are entitled to compensation. The case involves vehicles that had devices to manipulate their emissions. An individual who purchased a diesel car equipped with an illicit device called a “thermal window” confronted the Mercedes-Benz group, asking for compensation for problems related to the vehicle. The technique allows control over the purification of exhaust gases based on external temperatures; however, the European courts have deemed the practice illegal in most cases. Mercedes-Benz has downplayed the ruling, saying that “only the damages caused to a buyer are relevant” and that the presence of an illegal deactivation device is debatable in this case. The ruling could be useful for many drivers, even though it only affects one individual buyer. The German court that referred the case to European Justice must now determine how to implement the ruling.