Automotive Parts Price-Fixing Antitrust Litigation

This sprawling antitrust litigation, one of the largest in U.S. history, alleges a decade-long conspiracy by dozens of automotive parts manufacturers to fix prices and rig bids for a wide array of components, including spark plugs, radiators, and seat belts. The Department of Justice has called it the largest criminal investigation it has ever pursued.

The class action lawsuits, filed on behalf of car buyers and dealerships, claim that this collusion artificially inflated the cost of vehicle components, with those costs being passed directly on to consumers in the form of higher new vehicle prices. The litigation seeks to recover billions of dollars in overcharges.