Auto-parts makers agree to pay $78M in Canadian price-fixing class action settlements

Three state courts have ruled out $78 million worth of Canadian money in a series of lawsuits alleging that some auto parts makers defrauded automakers, businesses and new car buyers in a price-fixing scheme dating back nearly two decades. Approved settlements of 23 class action lawsuits.

The settlement, approved Wednesday by courts in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec, is part of a series of class-action lawsuits in Canada alleging a monstrous conspiracy to fix laundry list prices for 45 auto parts. The latest. The range has been in new vehicles for 18 years, from air conditioning to braking systems, ignition coils, door latches and throttle controls.

Businesses and consumers who purchase or lease new vehicles sold between July 1, 1998 and September 30, 2016 are eligible to receive $25 per vehicle in coverage for the following brands:

• Aston Martin.
• BMW/Mini Cooper.
• Chrysler/Dodge/Fiat/Jeep/RAM.
• Ford/Lincoln/Mercury.
• General Motors (Buick/Cadillac/Chevrolet/Daewoo/GMC/Hummer/Isuzu/Oldsmobile/Pontiac/Saab/Saturn).
• Honda/Acura.
• Jaguar/Land Rover.
• Mazda.
• Nissan/Infiniti.
• Subaru.
• Toyota/Lexus.
• Volkswagen/Audi/Porsche, Volvo.

Lawyers in the class action lawsuit emphasized that no wrongdoing was alleged on the part of the automakers. Rather, it was the auto parts company that was accused of deceiving the manufacturer and everyone else along the supply chain.

You can find a list of parts, their manufacturers, and individual settlements of the case. here.

Some companies may charge $10,000 or more

Linda Visser is a partner at Siskins LLP, based in London, Ontario, one of the law firms involved in the class action lawsuit.

Visser told CBC News Wednesday that the automaker was the original purchaser of the fixed-price parts and was ordered by the court to provide customer information to inform the settlement.

“They store a lot of information for warranty purposes, so we can access that information to assist with the claims management process and make it easier for people, including dealers and end-buyers of new vehicles, to We were able to make an insurance claim.”

Anyone who files through the class action website is eligible to receive up to $25 for each new car purchase, Visser said. Consumers may expect him to earn less than $100, but some businesses, such as dealers and car rental companies, can expect to collect up to $10,000 depending on the amount of vehicles purchased. .

Visser said the alleged conspiracy was likely uncovered when one of the co-conspirators turned himself in to authorities in exchange for a pardon, and that the Competition Bureau suspected that Canada’s infamous bread price-fixing conspiracy had been linked to Weston and Rob Rose. He said it was similar to what he discovered after someone reported it. those who are alleged perpetrators.

“The basic concept is the same,” she says. “The legal department, one of the companies involved, caught the case. Instead of dropping the story, they got immunity.”

New car buyers must rely on customer information provided by automakers as proof of purchase, according to payment sites. Those eligible will be notified by email or letter between June 28th and her July 12th with a user ID and password to access the information.

Car owners who have not received a notification during that time are asked to check their “junk” or “spam” folders.

Lawyers involved in the lawsuit said there was another settlement and that the accused would be notified, but did not say when the court would make a decision.