<p>Five years after German car giant Volkswagen admitted to massive emissions cheating in diesel cars, here's a look at the legal and financial fallout.</p>.<p>US researchers at the University of West Virginia discover that certain VW diesel cars emit up to 40 times the permissible levels of harmful nitrogen oxide when tested on the road.</p>.<p><strong>September 18</strong>: The US Environmental Protection Agency accuses VW of duping diesel emissions tests using so-called "defeat devices".</p>.<p><strong>September 22</strong>: Volkswagen admits installing software designed to reduce emissions during lab tests in 11 million diesel engines worldwide. VW shares plunge by 40 percent in two days.</p>.<p><strong>September 23</strong>: Chief executive Martin Winterkorn steps down but insists he knew nothing of the scam.</p>.<p><strong>April 22</strong>: VW announces its first annual loss in 20 years.</p>.<p><strong>June 28</strong>: VW agrees to pay $14.7 billion in buybacks, compensation and penalties in a mammoth settlement with US authorities. The deal includes cash payouts for nearly 500,000 US drivers.</p>.<p><strong>January 11</strong>: VW pleads guilty to three US charges including fraud.</p>.<p>As part of the plea deal, VW signs up to a "statement of facts" in which it admits that the cheating dates back to 2006, but it remains unclear how much the top brass knew about the scam.</p>.<p><strong>February 1</strong>: Car parts maker Bosch, which supplied elements of the software, agrees to pay nearly $330 million to US car owners and dealers but admits no wrongdoing.</p>.<p><strong>August 25</strong>: A Michigan court sentences VW engineer James Liang to 40 months in prison.</p>.<p><strong>December 6</strong>: VW executive Oliver Schmidt, who was arrested while on holiday in Florida, is sentenced to seven years in jail.</p>.<p><strong>February 23</strong>: VW roars back to profit after record sales in 2017.</p>.<p><strong>May 3</strong>: Winterkorn is indicted in the US, accused of trying to cover up the cheating.</p>.<p><strong>June 13</strong>: VW agrees to pay a one billion euro fine in Germany, admitting responsibility for the diesel crisis.</p>.<p><strong>June 18</strong>: Rupert Stadler, CEO of VW's Audi subsidiary, is arrested in Germany, accused of fraud.</p>.<p><strong>September 10</strong>: Shareholders' case against VW claiming nine billion euros of damages opens in Germany's Brunswick.</p>.<p><strong>October 16</strong>: Audi agrees to pay a fine of 800 million euros in Germany.</p>.<p><strong>January 10</strong>: Scandal engulfs other automobile giants with Fiat Chrysler agreeing to a $515 million settlement in the US over charges it used defeat devices.</p>.<p><strong>February 25</strong>: German prosecutors fine BMW 8.5 million euros over diesels with higher harmful emissions than allowed, but find no criminal wrong-doing.</p>.<p><strong>May 7</strong>: Porsche agrees to pay a fine of 535 million euros in Germany.</p>.<p><strong>September 24</strong>: Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler agrees to an 870 million euro fine in Germany.</p>.<p><strong>February 28</strong>: VW agrees to pay 750 million euros in compensation to 235,000 German customers in an out-of-court settlement. The scandal has cost it more than 30 billion euros so far.</p>.<p><strong>May 19</strong>: VW CEO Herbert Diess and supervisory board chair Hans Dieter Poetsch avoid trial over market manipulation charges after VW agrees to a nine million euro settlement.</p>.<p><strong>May 25</strong>: A German court orders VW to buy back a rigged diesel from its owner, setting the template for thousands of cases brought by individual claimants.</p>.<p><strong>September 9 and 24</strong>: A German court says Winterkorn must stand trial over charges of fraud and market manipulation.</p>.<p><strong>September 13</strong>: Daimler agrees to pay $2.2 billion to settle emissions cheating charges in the US.</p>.<p><strong>September 30</strong>: Former Audi boss Stadler becomes the first top executive to go on trial over "dieselgate".</p>
<p>Five years after German car giant Volkswagen admitted to massive emissions cheating in diesel cars, here's a look at the legal and financial fallout.</p>.<p>US researchers at the University of West Virginia discover that certain VW diesel cars emit up to 40 times the permissible levels of harmful nitrogen oxide when tested on the road.</p>.<p><strong>September 18</strong>: The US Environmental Protection Agency accuses VW of duping diesel emissions tests using so-called "defeat devices".</p>.<p><strong>September 22</strong>: Volkswagen admits installing software designed to reduce emissions during lab tests in 11 million diesel engines worldwide. VW shares plunge by 40 percent in two days.</p>.<p><strong>September 23</strong>: Chief executive Martin Winterkorn steps down but insists he knew nothing of the scam.</p>.<p><strong>April 22</strong>: VW announces its first annual loss in 20 years.</p>.<p><strong>June 28</strong>: VW agrees to pay $14.7 billion in buybacks, compensation and penalties in a mammoth settlement with US authorities. The deal includes cash payouts for nearly 500,000 US drivers.</p>.<p><strong>January 11</strong>: VW pleads guilty to three US charges including fraud.</p>.<p>As part of the plea deal, VW signs up to a "statement of facts" in which it admits that the cheating dates back to 2006, but it remains unclear how much the top brass knew about the scam.</p>.<p><strong>February 1</strong>: Car parts maker Bosch, which supplied elements of the software, agrees to pay nearly $330 million to US car owners and dealers but admits no wrongdoing.</p>.<p><strong>August 25</strong>: A Michigan court sentences VW engineer James Liang to 40 months in prison.</p>.<p><strong>December 6</strong>: VW executive Oliver Schmidt, who was arrested while on holiday in Florida, is sentenced to seven years in jail.</p>.<p><strong>February 23</strong>: VW roars back to profit after record sales in 2017.</p>.<p><strong>May 3</strong>: Winterkorn is indicted in the US, accused of trying to cover up the cheating.</p>.<p><strong>June 13</strong>: VW agrees to pay a one billion euro fine in Germany, admitting responsibility for the diesel crisis.</p>.<p><strong>June 18</strong>: Rupert Stadler, CEO of VW's Audi subsidiary, is arrested in Germany, accused of fraud.</p>.<p><strong>September 10</strong>: Shareholders' case against VW claiming nine billion euros of damages opens in Germany's Brunswick.</p>.<p><strong>October 16</strong>: Audi agrees to pay a fine of 800 million euros in Germany.</p>.<p><strong>January 10</strong>: Scandal engulfs other automobile giants with Fiat Chrysler agreeing to a $515 million settlement in the US over charges it used defeat devices.</p>.<p><strong>February 25</strong>: German prosecutors fine BMW 8.5 million euros over diesels with higher harmful emissions than allowed, but find no criminal wrong-doing.</p>.<p><strong>May 7</strong>: Porsche agrees to pay a fine of 535 million euros in Germany.</p>.<p><strong>September 24</strong>: Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler agrees to an 870 million euro fine in Germany.</p>.<p><strong>February 28</strong>: VW agrees to pay 750 million euros in compensation to 235,000 German customers in an out-of-court settlement. The scandal has cost it more than 30 billion euros so far.</p>.<p><strong>May 19</strong>: VW CEO Herbert Diess and supervisory board chair Hans Dieter Poetsch avoid trial over market manipulation charges after VW agrees to a nine million euro settlement.</p>.<p><strong>May 25</strong>: A German court orders VW to buy back a rigged diesel from its owner, setting the template for thousands of cases brought by individual claimants.</p>.<p><strong>September 9 and 24</strong>: A German court says Winterkorn must stand trial over charges of fraud and market manipulation.</p>.<p><strong>September 13</strong>: Daimler agrees to pay $2.2 billion to settle emissions cheating charges in the US.</p>.<p><strong>September 30</strong>: Former Audi boss Stadler becomes the first top executive to go on trial over "dieselgate".</p>