Bosch controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2015
Involvement in the Volkswagen clean-diesel emissions scandal
Bosch supplied engine-control hardware and software used in diesel vehicles involved in emissions-cheating controversies. Authorities and plaintiffs alleged that Bosch participated in or enabled misconduct by providing software, calibration, and related technical assistance. Bosch later entered settlements, including a $25 million California settlement and a Canadian settlement concerning affected Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche vehicles. In separate U.S. litigation, Bosch defendants have also obtained favorable rulings, including summary judgment in 2025.
1939
Forced labor and wartime production under the Nazi regime
During the Second World War, Bosch participated in German armaments production and used forced laborers, prisoners of war, and concentration-camp prisoners at its facilities. Bosch’s own historical materials acknowledge the coercive and often inhumane conditions. The record also includes resistance activity and assistance to some people persecuted by the Nazi regime, but those actions do not negate the company’s involvement in forced labor and wartime production.