Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler could be in hot water from Germany’s road vehicle authority KBA after the agency found five “illegal switch-off devices” in the automaker’s car engines. According to a report from German newspaper Bild, more than 1 million vehicles are suspected to be affected, most of which make up Daimler’s new fleet of Euro 6 diesel vehicles.

Dieselgate Part 2

Daimler could be in big trouble, especially if it’s proven that it also used cheating devices to skirt its away around diesel emissions regulations. Granted, the investigation doesn’t appear to be done, so it’s still subject to some developments. It is a bad look, though, for Daimler to get caught up in this, especially after the massive scandal that fell on the hands of Volkswagen. That scandal — we all know it as Dieselgate — has cost VW around $30 billion in fines and other costs.

Predictably, a Daimler spokesman is already distancing the German automaker from the controversy, saying that the company is “cooperating to a full extent and transparently with the KBA and the federal transport ministry.” The spokesman also said that Daimler remains vigilant in its position that the switch-off devices that it used on its models were not in breach of regulations.

The device in question is an emission control feature that uses urea nitrate liquids to help naturalize nitrogen oxide omissions in exhaust fumes. Daimler, like other automakers, uses this to help mitigate emission levels. The KBA, however, believes that these devices help vehicles emit excess pollution without detection.

The investigation and subsequent fallout are still hard to determine, but Daimler has said that it’s prepared to fight back against any accusations levied against it. The German automaker already said a month ago that it would appeal an order by the KBA to recall the Mercedes Vito 1.6l Diesel Euro 6 model, so that tells you where both sides are in burgeoning issue.

However this plays out, it’s going to be interesting to see how all parties approach this issue. Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche reportedly met with German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer yesterday to discuss the issue. Hopefully, the two had a good conversation about it because anything less than that could turn into a messy legal battle.

Further reading

Read more Mercedes-Benz news.

Read more on the Dieselgate scandal.