Eligible Hawaiʻi owners and lessees of certain Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner diesel vehicles have until the end of Wednesday, September 30, to submit a claim for a $2,000 payment tied to an approved emissions repair. The state estimates about 450 local owners or lessees may qualify, making the deadline a potentially significant consumer-protection cutoff.
The Hawaiʻi Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs said the payment is available to people whose covered vehicle received an Approved Emission Modification, or AEM, at an authorized dealer between August 1, 2023, and August 31, 2026. The department’s consumer notice says a valid claim must be filed through the settlement portal by September 30. The repair itself was offered at no charge and carries an extended modification warranty.
The official Mercedes-Benz AEM incentive site confirms the same claim deadline and says current or former owners and lessees may be eligible. Covered vehicles include certain BlueTEC II passenger cars and Mercedes-Benz- or Freightliner-branded Sprinter vans. Hawaiʻi’s notice lists model years 2009 through 2016 and directs consumers to the settlement site for the complete model-by-model eligibility list. Eligibility is vehicle-specific, so a diesel badge or model year alone is not enough to establish a claim.
Claimants generally need the unique identification number and PIN included in mailed notices, proof of present or former ownership or lease, and the final dealer repair order showing that the AEM was installed within the eligible period. People who no longer have the notice can contact the claims administrator at 1-888-865-4540. The state cautions that the September 30 filing deadline is separate from the August 31 repair deadline: a vehicle whose modification was completed on time still requires a timely claim.
The payment program stems from state and federal enforcement over diesel-emissions controls. Hawaiʻi says a state-court judgment entered June 9 resolved claims by its consumer-protection, attorney general and health agencies, while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s settlement record describes undisclosed software functions and defeat devices in roughly 250,000 model-year 2009–2016 diesel vehicles nationwide. EPA says the devices allowed emissions systems to operate less effectively under normal driving conditions than during federal tests, increasing nitrogen-oxide pollution. EPA’s record also says the approved modifications can include software and hardware changes that vary by vehicle subgroup and that covered systems receive an extended warranty.
For Hawaiʻi consumers, the immediate practical question is whether an eligible repair was completed by August 31. If it was, the owner or lessee should use the official settlement portal to verify the vehicle, assemble the ownership and repair documents, and submit before the September 30 deadline. The claims site is the controlling source for eligibility and filing; consumers should avoid unrelated sites or unsolicited requests for sensitive information.
The state says the national settlement requires Mercedes-Benz to pay $120 million to participating states immediately, with Hawaiʻi receiving $263,356 for consumer-protection work. Those government payments are separate from individual $2,000 incentive claims, and filing a consumer claim does not require paying a fee to the state.
