Drivers of many 1998 to 2016 vehicles eligible in $78 million class action settlements

The sun sets over highway 401 traffic during the winter solstice in Belleville, Ont., on Tuesday, December 21, 2021. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg)

Drivers of certain 1998 to 2016 vehicles are eligible for a piece of $78 million in settlements related to alleged auto parts price-fixing schemes.

The settlements come from 23 Canadian class actions and affect vehicles from a dozen automakers, including BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen.

The parts manufacturers that are paying the settlements have not admitted any liability or wrongdoing. A protocol for distributing the approximately $78 million received court approval on Wednesday. The class actions do not involve automakers themselves.

The class actions were spearheaded by Canadian law firms Siskinds LLP, Sotos LLP, CFM and Siskinds Desmeules.

"The auto parts class actions are a large undertaking and we are proud to have recovered a significant amount of money for Canadian consumers and businesses, " Karim Diallo of Siskinds Desmeules said in a news release.

Consumers and businesses that purchased or leased a new vehicle between July 1, 1998 and Sept. 30, 2016 are eligible if they came from the following automakers or brands:

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

Applications can be made online at autopartsettlement.ca until Oct. 30, 2023.

"We encourage Canadian businesses and consumers who purchased the affected vehicles to apply for settlement benefits," Linda Visser, a partner at Siskinds LLP, said. "We designed a claims process that is straightforward and easy to use – particularly for consumers."

A total of 45 class actions have been filed over alleged conspiracies to fix auto part prices for new vehicles in Canada. More than $179 million has been recovered so far, and this is the second of at least three proposed rounds of distribution. Allegations of auto parts price fixing have prompted criminal investigations around the globe, creating what is now the largest antitrust investigation in history. 

"Price-fixing conspiracies are prohibited by the Competition Act," CFM partner David Jones said. "They are harmful to the Canadian marketplace, causing businesses and consumers to pay too much for goods and services. The settlements seek to redress that harm."