Ford Canada, California vehicle dealers antitrust $82M class action settlement

Updates:

• Top Class Actions readers reported this settlement paying out up to $88.82 as of April 2024.
• Congratulations to everyone who filed a claim and got PAID!
  

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• A judge granted final approval for this class action settlement on Oct. 31, 2022.

• Let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our Settlements & Payouts Facebook group.

Ford Canada agreed to an $82 million antitrust class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims it worked with other companies to prevent vehicle exportation.

The vehicle exportation settlement benefits consumers who purchased or leased certain makes of vehicles from a dealer in California between Jan. 1, 2001, and April 30, 2003, and who lived in California as of Nov. 15, 2010. Makes covered by the settlement are Acura, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hummer, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Toyota and Volvo.

Ford Canada is the Canadian branch of the automotive manufacturer. The company sells trucks, SUVs, and other vehicles.

According to the antitrust class action lawsuit, Ford Canada worked with Volvo, General Motors, Nissan, Honda, Toyota and other automotive companies to prevent the export of new vehicles from Canada to the United States. This allegedly caused reduced competition in the U.S. — including in California. The lack of competition forced Californians to overpay for vehicles, the class action lawsuit contends.

Plaintiffs in the antitrust class action lawsuit claim the anti-export scheme violated California’s Cartwright Act.

No one has admitted to any wrongdoing in the case. However, several manufacturers and other defendants agreed to pay to resolve these allegations. 

Previous settlements were reached when General Motors of Canada agreed to pay $20.15 million, while Toyota and the Canadian Automobile Dealers’ Association paid a combined $35.7 million. These settlements resulted in payments to affected consumers.

Ford Canada recently agreed to pay $82 million to resolve the claims. 

Class members can receive a cash payment from the Ford settlement. Payments will vary depending on the type of vehicle leased or purchased and the recognized claim amount assigned to each model. 

For example, a class member who purchased a Chevrolet Avalanche in November 2002 has a recognized claim amount of $453. In contrast, a class member with a Toyota Corolla purchased in April 2003 has a much lower recognized claim amount of $6. 

Payments may not be as high as the model’s listed claim amount, especially if a large number of claims are filed. Class members can receive their payment digitally or, if their payment is over $10, in the form of a check.

The deadline for exclusion and objection is Sept. 12, 2022. 

The final approval hearing for the Ford Canada vehicle exportation antitrust class action lawsuit settlement is scheduled for Oct. 5, 2022.

In order to receive a settlement payment, class members must submit a valid claim form by Dec. 31, 2022.

Who’s Eligible

The settlement benefits consumers who purchased or leased certain make vehicles from a dealer in California between Jan. 1, 2001, and April 30, 2003, and who lived in California as of Nov. 15, 2010. Makes covered by the settlement are Acura, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hummer, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Toyota and Volvo.

Potential Award

Varies

Proof of Purchase

No documentation needed at this time. However, you may be asked by plaintiffs’ counsel, the claims administrator or the Court for documents showing you made the purchases you list on the form.

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

12/31/2022

Case Name

Automobile Antitrust Cases I and II, JCCP Nos. 4298 and 4303, in the Superior Court for the City and County of San Francisco

Final Hearing

10/05/2022

Settlement Website

CalCarsSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Automobile Antitrust Ford Canada Settlement
P.O. Box 173028
Milwaukee, WI 53217
info@CalCarsSettlement.com
877-354-3833

Class Counsel

Joseph J Tabacco
Todd A Seaver
Christopher T Heffelfinger
Matthew D Pearson
BERMAN TABACCO

Tracy R Kirkham
COOPER & KIRKHAM PC

William Bernstein
Eric B Fastiff
Michelle Lamy
LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN LLP

R Alexander Saveri
Cadio Zirpoli
SAVERI & SAVERI INC

Defense Counsel

UNKNOWN