Consumers in Canada have until Tuesday to file a claim for a class action on alleged price-fixing for certain automotive parts.
The settlement applies to those who have bought or leased certain vehicles over the last 20 years.
Most eligible consumers will probably receive at least $25, according to Linda Visser, partner at Siskinds LLP, one of the law firms involved in the class actions.
“For larger purchases like fleet purchasers, car rental companies and automotive dealers, that type of thing, it’s going to depend [on] how many people purchased and the value of their purchases, but in previous rounds we saw people getting tens of thousands of dollars,” Visser told CTV Your Morning from London, Ont., on Monday.
The lawsuits were launched in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec. They alleged that automotive part manufacturers colluded to fix the price of certain automotive parts that they charged carmakers. The parts include air conditioning systems, door latches and shock absorbers.
As of last month, $104 million had already been handed out in related class actions in Canada. Settlement funds were distributed for vehicles including Volkswagen, Chrysler, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, Mazda and Toyota covered by other years.
The current claims apply to the final disbursement of about $50 million for those who owned or leased vehicles that were not previously eligible.
Automakers including Ford, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai and Kia sold about one million vehicles in Canada that are affected by the current class action.
The claims apply to the following vehicles sold or leased between 1998 and 2017:
- BMW/Mini Cooper: Dec. 5, 2014, to May 31, 2017
- Ford/Lincoln/Mercury: Aug. 1, 2015, to May 31, 2017
- Hyundai, Kia: Jan. 1, 2007, to May 31, 2016
- Mercedes-Benz/Smart: Nov. 29, 2004, to May 31, 2017
- Mitsubishi: July 1, 1998, to July 31, 2015
- Suzuki: July 1, 1998, to May 31, 2016
To check if you’re eligible, visit autopartssettlement.ca. Visser said the process is “pretty straightforward,” so it will generally take a few minutes to submit a claim.
Parts manufacturers did not admit to wrongdoing or liability as part of the settlements.
With files from CTVNews.ca journalist Daniel Otis
