In two related settlements—one with the United States and the State of California, and one with the Federal Trade Commission—German automaker Volkswagen and related entities have agreed to spend up to $14.7 billion to settle allegations of cheating emissions tests and deceiving customers, the Department of Justice said.

Jaclyn Jaeger is a freelance contributor to Compliance Week after working for the company for 15 years. She writes on a wide variety of topics, including ethics and compliance, risk management, legal,...