French Mercedes owners take legal action after German emissions probe

PARIS, March 24 (Reuters) - Three French Mercedes car owners filed legal complaints against the carmaker's parent Daimler (Swiss: DAI-EUR.SW - news) on Friday, alleging consumer fraud in relation to diesel engine emissions, following the opening of a formal investigation by prosecutors in Germany.

The three, who own an A-Class model, an E-Class and an S-Class, submitted their complaint to the Paris prosecutor, their lawyer Frederik-Karel Canoy told Reuters.

The complaint was received by the Paris prosecutor's office earlier on Friday, according to a court source. A spokesman for Daimler (IOB: 0NXX.IL - news) said the company had no immediate comment.

The move in France the opening of a German investigation by the Stuttgart public prosecutor on Wednesday into allegations of fraud and misleading advertising over vehicle emissions by unidentified Daimler employees.

Mercedes (Xetra: 710000 - news) cars were among 24 brands tested by the French authorities following Volkswagen (IOB: 0P6N.IL - news) 's admission in 2015 that it used illegal software to cheat on U.S. diesel emissions tests.

Paris prosecutors have since opened full investigations into VW, Renault (LSE: 0NQF.L - news) and Fiat Chrysler and are considering action against PSA Group, based on dossiers filed by France's DGCCRF consumer protection agency.

The anti-fraud watchdog has closed its own preliminary inquiry into General Motors (NYSE: GM - news) ' European Opel division with no further action, while maintaining that referral to prosecutors remains a possibility for other carmakers involved in the testing programme, including Daimler.

Some models in the Mercedes A-, B- and C-Class families are equipped with Renault diesel engines under a partnership deal struck in 2010 between Daimler and the Renault-Nissan alliance. (Reporting by Laurence Frost and Gilles Guillaume; Editing by Greg Mahlich)