TORONTO, Jan. 12, 2026 /CNW/ - Siskinds LLP (London & Toronto), Sotos LLP (Toronto), Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman LLP (CFM) (Vancouver), and Siskinds Desmeules s.e.n.c.r.l. (Québec City) announced today court approval of a protocol for distributing settlements totalling approximately $50 million in nine class actions relating to the alleged price fixing of certain automotive parts. This will be the third and final distribution in the auto parts class actions.

The class actions are part of 45 class actions brought in Canada alleging unlawful conspiracies to fix prices of auto parts for installation in new vehicles. The settled defendants have not admitted any wrongdoing or liability.

There have been extensive criminal investigations around the globe related to the alleged price-fixing of automotive parts. These cases make up the largest antitrust investigation in history in terms of the number of affected parts, implicated parties, and fines imposed. 

"In Canada, price-fixing conspiracies are prohibited by the Competition Act. 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", explained Linda Visser, a partner at Siskinds in London. "The settlements seek to redress that alleged harm."

The Ontario, British Columbia and/or Québec courts approved the settlements and protocol for distributing the settlement funds to purchasers of vehicles affected by the alleged conspiracy. The affected brands and time periods vary from case to case.

There have been two previous rounds of distribution.  Where the affected vehicles eligible for payment in the third distribution overlap with those covered in the previous two distributions, there will be no further opportunity to claim in respect of those vehicles. This is to reduce the time and needless administrative expense involved with a further claims process if there is overlap. Settlement class members were advised in previous court-approved notices that there would be no further opportunity to make claims for overlapping settlements. Settlement class members who filed a claim in an earlier distribution and consented to their information being used in any subsequent distribution will automatically be considered for compensation.

The following vehicles do not overlap with previous distributions and are eligible for new settlement fund claims by settlement class members:

• BMW/Mini Cooper (newly-purchased or leased between December 5, 2014 to May 31, 2017)
• Ford/Lincoln/Mercury (newly-purchased or leased between August 1, 2015 to May 31, 2017)
• Hyundai/Kia (newly-purchased or leased between January 1, 2007 to May 31, 2016)
• Mercedes-Benz/Smart (newly-purchased or leased between November 29, 2004 to May 31, 2017)
• Mitsubishi (newly-purchased or leased between July 1, 1998 to July 31, 2015)
• Suzuki (newly-purchased or leased between July 1, 1998 to May 31, 2016)

For the above vehicles, settlement class members (consumers, dealerships, and businesses) must file a claim to be considered for compensation.

No wrongdoing is alleged against the Automakers. They are not defendants in the class actions. The class actions were brought against the parts manufacturers who allegedly price-fixed those products.

In total, between the three distributions, more than $185.5 million has been recovered for the benefit of Canadians in the auto parts class actions. "We are proud to have recovered a significant amount of money for Canadian consumers and businesses", said Michelle Segal, BC counsel at CFM, Vancouver.

Caroline Perrault, Québec counsel at Siskinds Desmeules said: "We encourage affected Canadians to apply for settlement benefits in this distribution. The claims process is designed to be quick and user-friendly." Applications for settlement benefits can be filed online at autopartsettlement.ca on or before May 12, 2026.   

For more information about the settlements, the distribution of settlement funds and the claims process, visit autopartsettlement.ca or call 1-866-474-4331.

About Class Counsel

Siskinds LLP
Siskinds LLP is a pioneer in class action lawsuits and has been recognized as a top-tier Canadian firm by the Chambers and Partners, a global legal review organization, in their 2023 guide. The class actions team, comprised of 25 lawyers admitted to practice in Ontario, British Columbia, Québec, New York State and Australia, act exclusively for plaintiffs. siskinds.com/classactions

Sotos LLP
Sotos LLP is a nationally-recognized law firm based in Toronto. Sotos acts for plaintiffs in many of Canada's leading class actions in the areas of employment (wage and hour litigation), antitrust (Competition Act), privacy, consumer protection and franchising and distribution. www.sotosclassactions.com

CFM 
CFM is a boutique law firm based in Vancouver specializing in class actions, aviation accident litigation and product liability litigation, on behalf of plaintiffs. cfmlawyers.ca

Siskinds Desmeules
Siskinds Desmeules is a law firm in Québec City specializing in class action and professional liability since 1991. As an affiliate firm to Siskinds LLP, Siskinds Desmeules combines the personalized service of a boutique law firm with the resources of a larger firm, offering access to a team of over 240 lawyers and support staff covering over 25 specialized practice areas. https://www.siskinds.com/?lang=fr 

SOURCE Siskinds LLP, Sotos LLP, CFM and Siskinds Desmeules