— U.S. consumers who purchased vehicle starters during an 18-year period may be eligible to receive benefits from proposed lawsuit settlement agreements.
The starter class action lawsuits were filed in 2014 alleging multiple manufacturers violated federal antitrust laws that forced starter purchasers to overpay for their vehicle starters.
According to the lawsuit, these companies agreed to settle the starter lawsuits, although the defendants deny all liability and allegations.
- Robert Bosch GmbH
- Robert Bosch LLC
- Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
- Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, Inc.
- Hitachi, Ltd.
- DENSO Corporation
- DENSO International America, Inc.
- Mitsuba Corporation
- American Mitsuba Corporation
- Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America, Inc.
The lawsuits allege the companies conspired to fix and raise the cost of purchasing vehicle starters. The plaintiffs also claim the manufacturers rigged bids and controlled the supply of starters to the detriment of U.S. consumers.
The settlement affects consumers who purchased starters in the U.S. directly from any of the above companies between January 1, 2000, through March 12, 2018.
The manufacturers say they agreed to settle the class action lawsuits to avoid the cost and burden of continued litigation.
Consumers who believe they may have purchased starters from the named companies may call 877-670-0867 for more information.
The car starter class action lawsuits were filed in the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division: In Re: Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation.
The plaintiffs are represented by Freed Kanner London & Millen LLC, Kohn, Swift & Graf, P.C., Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios LLP, and Spector Roseman & Kodroff, P.C.