Canadians begin receiving payments from $78M auto parts class-action settlement

In this Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, file photo, Volkswagen cars for sale are on display on the lot of a VW dealership in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)

Canadians have begun receiving payments from a massive $78-million auto parts class-action settlement.

The settlement relates to allegations of illegal price fixing for automotive parts installed in new vehicles that were purchased or leased between 1998 and 2016. Affected automakers include BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Jaguar, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.

The automakers are not accused of wrongdoing and were not defendants in the class actions. As part of the settlement, the parts manufacturers accused of price-fixing were able to avoid admitting to wrongdoing or liability.

The price-fixing allegations have led to criminal investigations and several class actions around the world. The Canadian settlement relates to 23 related class actions in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec that were led by law firms Siskinds, Sotos, Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman (CFM) and Siskinds Desmeules.

“The Class Action Settlements are in response to the Defendants’ alleged conspiracy to fix the price of approximately 45 automotive parts, which allegedly caused Settlement Class Members to pay too much for automotive parts and eligible brand vehicles,” the law firms stated.

Affected parts include hoses, sensors, radiators, spark plugs and windshield wipers.

“Price-fixing conspiracies are prohibited by the Competition Act,” CFM partner David Jones said in a previous news release. “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.”

Payments of at least $25 per claim were sent out via e-transfer and cheque starting on Aug. 28. The deadline for filing a claim has passed. More details and contact information are available on the Auto Parts Class Action website.