Compliance Radar
Who was sanctioned, and for what?
Fines, court rulings and incidents from Europe and North America: 756 cases from 32 jurisdictions, each with an official source and checked against that source before publication. Filter by country, area of law and sector. Click a chart to drill down one level.
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Where?
by countryWhat for?
by area of lawAll areas of law
Who?
by company- BMW, Ford, Honda, Hyundai/Kia, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Opel/GM, Renault/Nissan, Stellantis, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo, ACEA (Mercedes-Benz Kronzeuge) €457.9m 80 % · 1 case
- Exide, FET (inkl. Elettra), Rombat, EUROBAT (Clarios Kronzeuge) €72m 13 % · 1 case
- Autohandel aus dem Landkreis Miltenberg (Inhaber Andreas M.) €20m 3 % · 1 case
- Maxxis International GmbH, Best4Tires Berlin GmbH, Reifen Müller GmbH & Co. KG €11.9m 2 % · 1 case
- Freies Autohaus aus Lohra (Inhaber nicht genannt) €5m 1 % · 1 case
- Volvo Hungária Kereskedelmi és Szolgáltató Kft.; Seres Gépipari Kereskedelmi Kft.; GIF Modul Kft.; Interteher Kft.; Eurotrade Kft.; He Hans Eibinger Kft. (MUT Kft. ohne Buße nach Entschädigung) €4.06m 1 % · 1 case
- GA ADRIATIC, trženje in prodaja avtomobilov, d.o.o. (vormals Renault Nissan Slovenija) €650,000 0 % · 1 case
- Schaeffler AG €180,000 0 % · 1 case
- RENAULT COMMERCIAL ROUMANIE S.R.L. €125,083 0 % · 1 case
- UAB „Manado“, MB „Parts ready“ €41,080 0 % · 1 case
- 4 more€27,863
When?
per quarter, by date of decision| Period | Cases | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2023 | 0 | — |
| Q4 2023 | 0 | — |
| Q1 2024 | 0 | — |
| Q2 2024 | 1 | €12,866 |
| Q3 2024 | 1 | €650,000 |
| Q4 2024 | 1 | — |
| Q1 2025 | 0 | — |
| Q2 2025 | 1 | €457.9m |
| Q3 2025 | 1 | €5m |
| Q4 2025 | 3 | €76.1m |
| Q1 2026 | 5 | €20.4m |
| Q2 2026 | 0 | — |
| Q3 2026 | 1 | €11.9m |
14 cases
1 Apr 2025 BMW, Ford, Honda, Hyundai/Kia, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Opel/GM, Renault/Nissan, Stellantis, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo, ACEA (Mercedes-Benz Kronzeuge)EU: 458 million EUR against carmakers and ACEA over end-of-life vehicle recycling cartel €457.9m
The Commission imposed fines of around 458 million EUR on 15 carmakers and the association ACEA. From 2002 to 2017, they had agreed not to pay dismantlers for recycling end-of-life vehicles and not to advertise recycling rates or recycled content; ACEA organised the meetings. Mercedes-Benz received full immunity as leniency applicant, and all parties reached a settlement (10 % reduction).
Agreements on purchasing terms or on refraining from advertising claims are also cartels – association meetings require antitrust supervision.
Agreements in association bodies; refraining from purchasing or advertising can also be a cartel
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 AEUV, Art. 53 EWR-Abkommen
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency programme (Mercedes-Benz 100 %, Stellantis/Opel 50 %, Mitsubishi 30 %, Ford 20 %), 10 % settlement reduction, lesser involvement of Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki
- Commission fines car manufacturers and association €458 million over end-of-life vehicles recycling cartel (IP/25/881) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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21 Jul 2026 Maxxis International GmbH, Best4Tires Berlin GmbH, Reifen Müller GmbH & Co. KGBundeskartellamt: 11.9 million EUR over resale price maintenance in tyre distribution (Maxxis/CST) €11.9m
Maxxis guaranteed wholesalers fixed margins per tyre sold of the Maxxis and CST brands, monitored prices in particular on the Tyre24 platform and intervened when prices were too low. Germany's Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) imposed fines totalling 11.9 million EUR on three companies and one responsible individual.
Margin guarantees and price controls vis-à-vis dealers constitute prohibited resale price maintenance – sales teams need clear rules for price discussions.
Influencing resale prices and price monitoring on platforms
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB (vertikale Preisbindung)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement with Maxxis and Reifen Müller
- Liability of senior managers
- Fine imposed on one responsible natural person (not named)
- Published
- 21 Jul 2026
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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25 Mar 2026 RENAULT COMMERCIAL ROUMANIE S.R.L.Cyber attack via service provider – Renault Commercial Roumanie pays 125,000 EUR €125,083
In an attack on an application operated by a processor, data of a very large number of persons (including personal identification numbers, driving licence and identity card numbers, vehicle identification numbers) were stolen and published. The Romanian data protection authority (ANSPDCP) criticised the lack of security measures and effectiveness testing as well as the selection of a service provider without sufficient guarantees and imposed 637,262.50 lei (125,000 EUR).
Responsibility for customer data does not end with the service provider – check its security guarantees in advance and monitor them continuously.
- Authority / court
- Autoritatea Națională de Supraveghere a Prelucrării Datelor cu Caracter Personal (ANSPDCP)
- Area of law
- Data protection · Data processors
- Legal basis
- Art. 32 Abs. 1 lit. b und d, Abs. 2 i. V. m. Art. 28 Abs. 1 DSGVO
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Published
- 25 Mar 2026
Original amount 637,262.5 RON, converted at the ECB reference rate of 25 Mar 2026.
- ANSPDCP – Comunicat de presă 25.03.2026 (RENAULT COMMERCIAL ROUMANIE S.R.L.) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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4 Mar 2026 Schaeffler AGSchaeffler: deviation of quarterly figures from market expectations disclosed too late €180,000
The automotive supplier's business figures for the first quarter of 2024 deviated significantly from market expectations; this inside information was not disclosed without delay by means of an ad hoc announcement. BaFin imposed a fine.
Make a comparison of internal figures with the analyst consensus a fixed part of the quarterly process, so that significant deviations are immediately assessed for ad hoc disclosure obligations.
Recognising inside information in deviations from market expectations (controlling/IR)
- Authority / court
- Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin)
- Area of law
- Capital markets and financial supervision · Disclosure and reporting obligations
- Legal basis
- Art. 17 Abs. 1 UAbs. 1 MAR
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Automotive
- Published
- 26 Mar 2026
- Schaeffler AG: BaFin setzt Geldbuße fest Decision of an authority
- Bekanntmachung der BaFin zur Schaeffler AG (Maßnahmenansicht mit Rechtskraftvermerk) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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2 Mar 2026 Autohandel aus dem Landkreis Miltenberg (Inhaber Andreas M.)Six years' imprisonment for car dealer: 111 luxury vehicles to Russia despite embargo €20m
A car dealer from the Bavarian Lower Main region specialising in armoured and luxury vehicles brought 111 vehicles worth almost 20 million EUR to Russia, and around 400 further vehicles were planned. The white-collar crime chamber of the Würzburg Regional Court (Landgericht Würzburg) sentenced the owner to six years' imprisonment and the former authorised signatory (Prokuristin) to two years suspended, and ordered the confiscation of around 20 million EUR; the judgment is not final.
Bans on luxury goods to Russia are enforced with long prison sentences and confiscation of assets; authorised signatories are also personally liable.
- Authority / court
- Landgericht Würzburg (Wirtschaftsstrafkammer); Ermittlungen Zollfahndungsamt Essen und Staatsanwaltschaft Würzburg
- Area of law
- Sanctions and export control · Breaches of sanctions and embargoes
- Legal basis
- Außenwirtschaftsgesetz i. V. m. Russland-Embargoverordnung (EU) Nr. 833/2014 (gewerbsmäßig)
- Action
- Custodial sentence
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Culpability
- intentional
- Liability of senior managers
- Owner (Andreas M.) six years' imprisonment; former authorised signatory (Inna W.) two years suspended.
- Published
- 2 Mar 2026
- Zollfahndungsamt Essen: Sechs Jahre Haft für Embargoverstoß mit Luxusautos (02.03.2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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12 Feb 2026 UAB „Manado“, MB „Parts ready“Manado and Parts ready: cartel in Vilnius public transport spare parts tender €41,080
In two tenders by ‘Vilniaus viešasis transportas’ for vehicle spare parts (May–October 2025), the dealers coordinated bids and prices, wrote the bids for each other and sent them from the same computer. The contracting entity reported the suspicion. Following acknowledgement (minus 15%), fines of 17,950 EUR (Manado) and 23,130 EUR (Parts ready). Source: archived copy of the press release.
Even jointly prepared bids by small dealers are a cartel – and contracting entities increasingly recognise such patterns.
Competition law in tenders
- Authority / court
- Konkurencijos taryba (Litauischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Konkurencijos įstatymas (verbotene Vereinbarungen)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Mitigating circumstances
- Acknowledgement of the infringement (15% reduction)
- Published
- 12 Feb 2026
- Konkurencijos taryba, Pranešimas 2026-02-12 (Archivkopie web.archive.org von kt.gov.lt) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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19 Jan 2026 Continental Automotive Products SRLExcel list with sick notes circulated internally – Continental Automotive pays 15,000 EUR €14,997
An Excel file containing data from medical certificates of current and former employees was repeatedly circulated within the company; the company reported the incident itself. The Romanian data protection authority (ANSPDCP) imposed 25,455 lei (5,000 EUR) for breach of data minimisation and accountability and 50,911 lei (10,000 EUR) for insufficient security measures and ordered a monitoring and control procedure. Date = publication of the press release; according to the authority, the investigation was concluded in the previous month.
Employees’ health data do not belong in freely forwarded Excel lists – HR departments need fixed access limits.
Handling employees’ health data, e-mail distribution lists
- Authority / court
- Autoritatea Națională de Supraveghere a Prelucrării Datelor cu Caracter Personal (ANSPDCP)
- Area of law
- Data protection · Employee data
- Legal basis
- Art. 5 Abs. 1 lit. c und Abs. 2, Art. 32 Abs. 1 lit. b und Abs. 2 DSGVO
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Published
- 19 Jan 2026
Original amount 76,366 RON, converted at the ECB reference rate of 19 Jan 2026.
- ANSPDCP – Comunicat de presă 19.01.2026 (Continental Automotive Products SRL) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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16 Dec 2025 A AG / V-Konzern (in der amtlichen Mitteilung anonymisiert)BGH: fraud convictions of former managers in diesel scandal final Custodial sentence
The Munich II Regional Court (Landgericht München II) had sentenced a head of department in diesel engine development and a former head of powertrain development for fraud in 94,924 cases to one year and nine months and two years respectively, and the former CEO of A AG for fraud in 17,177 cases to one year and nine months, in each case suspended on probation. They were responsible for unlawful defeat devices or failed to intervene despite having knowledge of them; the loss to buyers amounted to around 2.32 billion EUR. Germany's Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof, BGH) dismissed the appeals on points of law (1 StR 270/24).
Board members who learn of defeat devices and do not act commit a criminal offence themselves – indications of rule violations must immediately lead to investigation and information for customers.
Dealing with non-compliant instructions in development and the duty to intervene
- Authority / court
- Bundesgerichtshof (1. Strafsenat); Vorinstanz Landgericht München II (Urteil vom 27.06.2023)
- Area of law
- Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits
- Legal basis
- § 263 StGB (Betrug); unzulässige Abschalteinrichtungen nach US- und EU-Zulassungsrecht
- Action
- Custodial sentence
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Automotive
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- Prison sentences suspended on probation in each case.
- Liability of senior managers
- Those convicted were a head of department (P.), a former head of powertrain development and later board member (H.), and the former CEO of A AG (S.), who took no action despite the serious possibility of further defeat devices.
- Published
- 19 Dec 2025
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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15 Dec 2025 Exide, FET (inkl. Elettra), Rombat, EUROBAT (Clarios Kronzeuge)EU: 72 million EUR against starter battery manufacturers and the association EUROBAT €72m
From 2005 to 2017, the manufacturers of automotive starter batteries agreed, with the help of the association EUROBAT, to publish jointly calculated lead surcharges (EUROBAT premiums) and to use them in price negotiations with carmakers. Fines: Exide 30 million EUR, Rombat 20.218 million EUR, Elettra 15.594 million EUR, FET 6.11 million EUR, EUROBAT 125,000 EUR; Clarios escaped a fine as leniency applicant.
Suppliers may pass on raw material surcharges individually, but must never fix them in an industry-wide coordinated manner via association indices.
Joint raw material surcharges among competitors via association indices
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 AEUV, Art. 53 EWR-Abkommen
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency programme (Clarios 100 %, FET 50 %, Rombat 30 %); reduction for inability to pay for one company; payment in instalments
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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5 Dec 2025 Volvo Hungária Kereskedelmi és Szolgáltató Kft.; Seres Gépipari Kereskedelmi Kft.; GIF Modul Kft.; Interteher Kft.; Eurotrade Kft.; He Hans Eibinger Kft. (MUT Kft. ohne Buße nach Entschädigung)Refuse vehicle cartel: over 1.5 billion HUF, of which 270 million for obstructing the inspection €4.06m
In 2014–2015, chassis and body manufacturers allocated contracts and submitted cover bids in tenders for refuse collection and sewer cleaning vehicles. The Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (Hungarian Competition Authority, GVH) imposed cartel fines of 1,278.4 million HUF (of which 972.9 million on Volvo Hungária) and, in addition, a record procedural fine of 270 million HUF on Volvo Hungária for obstructing access to data secured during the inspection.
Regular meetings on ‘capacity planning’ with competitors are cartel evidence – and obstructing an inspection costs extra.
Bid rigging and conduct during inspections
- Authority / court
- Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (GVH)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Ungarisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV (Submissionsabsprachen, Verfahrensbuße; VJ/30/2018)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- Admissions and leniency applications by most participants; MUT paid 116 million HUF in compensation to contracting authorities.
- Published
- 5 Dec 2025
Original amount 1,548,400,000 HUF, converted at the ECB reference rate of 5 Dec 2025.
- Kukásautó-kartellt tárt fel a GVH Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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8 Jul 2025 Freies Autohaus aus Lohra (Inhaber nicht genannt)Five years' imprisonment for smuggling 71 luxury cars to Russia €5m
The person responsible for an independent car dealership sold 71 luxury vehicles with a value of goods of around 5 million EUR to Russia, feigning lawful exports to third countries. Following investigations by the Frankfurt am Main public prosecutor's office and the Essen customs investigation office, the Marburg Regional Court (Landgericht Marburg) imposed five years' imprisonment and ordered the confiscation of around 5 million EUR; the judgment is not final.
Feigned exports to third countries are exposed through customs data and payment flows – confiscation covers the entire value of the goods.
- Authority / court
- Landgericht Marburg; Ermittlungen Staatsanwaltschaft Frankfurt am Main und Zollfahndungsamt Essen
- Area of law
- Sanctions and export control · Breaches of sanctions and embargoes
- Legal basis
- Außenwirtschaftsgesetz i. V. m. Verordnung (EU) Nr. 833/2014 (Luxusgüterverbot)
- Action
- Custodial sentence
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Culpability
- intentional
- Liability of senior managers
- The person responsible for the car dealership was personally sentenced to five years' imprisonment.
- Published
- 11 Jul 2025
- Zollfahndungsamt Essen: Fünf Jahre Haft für Embargoverstöße mit Luxusautos (11.07.2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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9 Oct 2024 Campello S.p.A.; Microlino Italia S.r.l.AGCM: providers of small electric cars remove ‘100 % green’ advertising Other
On the websites for the XEV YOYO and Microlino electric vehicles, the companies advertised with ‘100 % sustainable’, ‘100 % Green’, ‘zero emissions’ and ‘zero environmental impact’ without taking into account life-cycle phases or the emissions from electricity generation. Following an intervention by Italy's competition and consumer protection authority (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, AGCM) (moral suasion, PS12794/PS12819), the claims were removed.
Even for electric vehicles, absolute claims such as ‘zero emissions’ are misleading if manufacturing and electricity generation are left out.
Blanket environmental promises for electric products
- Authority / court
- Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)
- Area of law
- Environment and sustainability · Misleading environmental and sustainability claims
- Legal basis
- Codice del Consumo (unlautere Geschäftspraktiken), Verfahren PS12794 und PS12819
- Action
- Other
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Automotive
- Mitigating circumstances
- Voluntary removal of the claims following the authority's intervention.
- Published
- 9 Oct 2024
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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24 Sep 2024 GA ADRIATIC, trženje in prodaja avtomobilov, d.o.o. (vormals Renault Nissan Slovenija)GA Adriatic (Renault): 650,000 EUR settlement for collusion on workshop contracts €650,000
In 2021, the Javna agencija Republike Slovenije za varstvo konkurence (Slovenian Competition Protection Agency, AVK) had found that the Renault importer and four car dealerships had infringed the cartel prohibition in the repair and maintenance of Renault vehicles for public contracting authorities. In a settlement procedure under the new competition act, GA Adriatic withdrew its action and received an administrative sanction of 650,000 EUR, payable in three instalments.
Authorised dealer networks must not coordinate on public contracts – even where contracting authorities require brand workshops.
Collusion between manufacturer and dealer network in tenders
- Authority / court
- Javna agencija Republike Slovenije za varstvo konkurence (AVK)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 6 ZPOmK-1 bzw. Art. 5 ZPOmK-2, Art. 101 AEUV; Vergleich nach Art. 95 ZPOmK-2 (3062-5/2024)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Automotive
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement with a reduction of up to 20%; termination after the inspection, cooperation.
- Published
- 30 Sep 2024
- Odločba 3062-5/2024-24 z dne 24. 9. 2024 (GA ADRIATIC) Decision of an authority
- Agencija v postopku poravnav izrekla administrativne sankcije v skupnem znesku več kot 1 milijon evrov Press release of an authority
- AVK – Odločitve agencije Enforcement database of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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5 Jun 2024 CarXclusive GmbHCar dealer CarXclusive: 12,866 EUR fine for breach of AML due diligence obligations €12,866
A fine of 12,866 EUR, final since 5 June 2024, was imposed on the motor vehicle dealer by the Arnsberg regional government (Bezirksregierung Arnsberg), as anti-money laundering supervisor for the non-financial sector, for breach of the due diligence obligations of the German Money Laundering Act (Geldwäschegesetz, GwG), and the company was publicly named.
Car dealerships must identify and document buyers for cash payments of 10,000 EUR or more – sales staff must know the threshold.
Customer identification when selling vehicles for cash
- Authority / court
- Bezirksregierung Arnsberg (Geldwäscheaufsicht Nichtfinanzsektor)
- Area of law
- Money laundering and terrorist financing · Customer due diligence
- Legal basis
- Geldwäschegesetz (Sorgfaltspflichten); Bekanntmachung nach § 57 GwG
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Automotive
- Bekanntmachung nach § 57 GwG – Bezirksregierung Arnsberg Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link