If you drive in California, you may have been ripped off. Here’s how to find out.
Vehicle parts manufacturers have paid out more than $23 million in settlement money after being caught violating California antitrust laws by artificially inflating prices, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Dozens of automobile parts manufacturers were involved in that activity over the course of decades, according to Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
There are more than 22 million cars registered in California, according to the attorney general’s office. Becerra said it’s not clear how many people were affected by the price-fixing, but that it was “millions, millions.”
If you think you were affected, you can visit www.autopartsclass.com for more information, including how to seek restitution.
“A vehicle is one of the most expensive and important purchases working families can make,” Becerra said in prepared remarks.
Becerra said that it is crucial for those families for the market to remain “fair and competitive.”
“When that marketplace isn’t fair and competitive, here at the (Department of Justice) we take action,” Becerra said.
The companies involved conspired to artificially increase the price for parts for consumers, and the effort affected both foreign and domestic vehicles, according to the attorney general’s office.
The largest single fine was for a company called DENSO, which agreed to pay $4.25 million. Other million-dollar-plus fines included companies Yazaki ($1.6 million), Mitsuba ($1.5 million), Mitsubishi Electric ($1.4 million), JTEKT ($1 million) and Hitachi Automotive Systems ($1 million).
This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 3:17 PM with the headline "If you drive in California, you may have been ripped off. Here’s how to find out.."
