On Tuesday, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint in federal court, accusing German automaker Volkswagen (VW) of repeatedly making false claims in its 'Clean Diesel' ads.

Asserting that the claims made by VW in its 'Clean Diesel' ads are deceptive, the FTC said in its complaint that the automaker is deceitfully promoting the 'Clean Diesel' feature in its vehicles as environmentally friendly.

In filing its complaint against VW for deceptive 'Clean Diesel' ads, the FTC has sought a court order which would require the automaker to reimburse US consumers "who bought or leased an affected vehicle between late 2008 and late 2015."

In addition, the FTC has also urged the court to issue an order that would prevent VW from making similar false claims in its future ad campaigns.

Against the backdrop of the FTC's complaint against VW, Edith Ramirez - the Chairwoman of the FTC - said in a statement that the automaker's ads have, for years, "touted the company's 'Clean Diesel' cars even though it now appears Volkswagen rigged the cars with devices designed to defeat emissions tests." Ramirez further added: "Our lawsuit seeks compensation for the consumers who bought affected cars based on Volkswagen's deceptive and unfair practices."