More Settlements Reached in Auto Parts Price-Fixing MDL

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Japanese suppliers Fujikura Ltd. and T.Rad Co. Ltd. have reportedly agreed to pay more than $14.5 million to end-payors to resolve allegations they engaged in a conspiracy to fix the prices of auto parts. T.Rad was accused of conspiring to fix the prices of radiators and ATF warmers, while Fujikura was accused of conspiring to fix the price of automotive wire harness systems.

According to the settlement documents filed Monday, Fujikura will pay $7.14 million and T.Rad will pay $7.41 million to businesses and consumers who bought or leased new automobiles.

The auto parts price-fixing multidistrict litigation (MDL) involves allegations of a conspiracy in the auto industry, in which the biggest manufacturers, sellers and marketers of auto parts allegedly sought to fix the prices, rig  bids and allocate the market for the products in the United States.

The U.S. Department of Justice, the Japanese Fair Trade Commission and other international law enforcement bodies have been investigating possible conspiracies in the auto parts industry since 2011, according to the settlement documents. To date, the DOJ investigation has resulted in more than $2.5 billion in corporate fines. In addition, more than 35 companies and 55 executives have already pleaded guilty or have agreed to plead guilty to price-fixing and bid-rigging.

In 2012, the DOJ announced that Fujikura agreed to plead guilty and pay a $20 million criminal fine for its role in the auto parts price-fixing conspiracy. The following year, the DOJ announced that T.Rad also agreed to plead guilty and pay more than $20 million in fines.

The full list of companies that have pleaded guilty include: Aisan Industry Co. Ltd., Aisin Seiki Co. Ltd., Autoliv Inc., Bridgestone Corporation, Continental Automotive Electronics LLC, Continental Automotive Korea Ltd., DENSO Corporation, Diamond Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Fujikura Ltd., Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd., G.S. Electech Inc., Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd., Hitachi Metals Ltd., JTEKT Corporation, Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Mitsuba Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., NGK Spark Plug Co. Ltd., Nippon Seiki Co. Ltd., NSK Ltd., Panasonic Corp., Sanden Corporation, Showa Corporation, Stanley Electric Co. Ltd., Takata Corp., Tokai Rika Co. Ltd., Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. Ltd., Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd., T. RAD Co. Ltd., TRW Deutschland Holding GmbH, Valeo Japan Co. Ltd., Yamashita Rubber Co. Ltd., Yamada Manufacturing Co. Ltd., and Yazaki Corp.

More information about the auto parts price-fixing settlements was not immediately available. Keep checking TopClassActions.com or sign up for our free newsletter for the latest updates. You can also mark this article as a “Favorite” using your free Top Class Actions account to receive notifications when this article is updated.

The end-payor plaintiffs are represented by E. Powell Miller and Devon P. Allard of The Miller Law Firm PC, Steven N. Williams, Adam J. Zapala and Elizabeth Tran of Cotchett Pitre McCarthy LLP, Hollis Salzman, Bernard Persky and William V. Reiss of Robins Kaplan LLP and Marc M. Seltzer, Steven G. Sklaver, Terrell W. Oxford and Omar Ochoa of Susman Godfrey LLP.

The Auto Parts Price-Fixing Class Action Lawsuit is In re: Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 2:12-md-02311, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

UPDATE: Another settlement has reportedly been reached in a massive class action lawsuit over a widespread price-fixing scheme in the automotive parts industry. Furukawa Electric Co., a Japanese auto wiring supplier, has agreed to pay more than $42.5 million to settle allegations that it conspired with other automotive companies to fix the price of car electronic systems, according to documents filed this week in Michigan federal court.

UPDATE 2: September 2017, the automotive wire harness antitrust class action lawsuit have secured settlements from five defendants worth more than $249 million. Click here to file a claim.