Toronto, Ontario -- Canadian courts have approved the distribution of about $50 million in settlement funds in a long-running series of class actions alleging price-fixing by automotive parts manufacturers.
The cases stem from alleged conduct dating back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, when competition authorities in several countries began investigating whether major auto parts suppliers had secretly agreed to fix prices and coordinate bids for components sold to automakers.
Those investigations expanded through the 2000s and early 2010s, leading to criminal charges and fines in the United States and other jurisdictions and to civil lawsuits in Canada beginning in 2013. The lawsuits allege the higher parts prices were passed on to Canadian consumers through the cost of new vehicles.
Defendants named across the cases include major global suppliers such as Denso, Robert Bosch, Continental, Hitachi Automotive Systems, Mitsubishi Electric, Yazaki, Marelli, Valeo, Toyoda Gosei, NSK, JTEKT, NGK Spark Plug, Delphi, Sumitomo Riko, Tokai Rika and Mitsuba.
The approval, announced in July 2025, covers the third and final distribution in the Canadian auto parts price-fixing litigation. The companies involved deny wrongdoing and the settlements do not include admissions of liability.
Courts in Ontario, British Columbia and Québec approved the settlements and a shared distribution plan. The litigation consists of about 45 related class actions, each tied to specific automotive components, such as electrical systems, steering parts and interior components.
Across all rounds of settlement distributions, more than $185 million has been recovered for Canadian consumers and businesses. The first distribution took place in 2021, followed by a second round in August 2025. The current $50 million distribution involves settlements in nine class actions and includes interest earned on the funds, after deductions for court-approved legal fees, expenses and taxes.
Eligible claimants include individuals and businesses that bought or leased certain new vehicles in Canada during specific time periods. The third distribution applies to additional vehicle models and model years not covered in earlier rounds, as well as to some claimants from previous distributions whose information was retained under the court-approved process. Vehicles already fully covered in earlier distributions are not eligible for a new claim.
Court documents say eligibility applies to new passenger cars, sport-utility vehicles, vans and light trucks weighing up to 10,000 pounds. Newly included brands and model years include certain vehicles from BMW and Mini Cooper, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, Hyundai and Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Smart, Mitsubishi and Suzuki.
The court-approved notice says certain vehicles were not included in earlier settlement distributions and are eligible for new claims in this final round. Newly purchased or leased BMW and Mini Cooper vehicles are eligible if acquired between December 5, 2014 and May 31, 2017. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles qualify if purchased or leased between August 1, 2015 and May 31, 2017. Hyundai and Kia vehicles are included for the period from January 1, 2007 to May 31, 2016. Mercedes-Benz and Smart vehicles qualify if purchased or leased between November 29, 2004 and May 31, 2017. Mitsubishi vehicles are eligible if purchased or leased between July 1, 1998 and July 31, 2015, while Suzuki vehicles qualify for the period from July 1, 1998 to May 31, 2016.
For these vehicles, settlement class members, including consumers, dealerships and businesses, must file a claim to be considered for compensation. The notice states that no wrongdoing is alleged against vehicle manufacturers.
“The Canadian auto parts class actions allege that the defendants conspired to fix prices for certain automotive parts, causing Canadian businesses and consumers to overpay for vehicles containing those parts,” said Linda Visser of Siskinds in a statement released with the court approval. “The settlements seek to redress that alleged harm.”
Claims for the final distribution must be filed by May 12, 2026. Payments will be calculated using a court-approved formula and issued by an independent claims administrator.
“We encourage affected Canadians to apply for settlement benefits in this distribution,” said Caroline Perrault of Siskinds Desmeules in the published notice.
