This manipulation of the testing regime may seem like just another corporate scandal, but it has caused a substantial amount of illness and death. As such it has incurred a massive personal cost to the individuals affected, and to the NHS and the economy as a whole. Even the work of local authorities (and associated costs) to achieve air quality targets was made harder by the vehicle manufacturers’ actions. There may be grounds for legal action to recover some of these costs, and to ensure that further deaths can be avoided.