Who was sanctioned, and for what?

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 on Maxxis and two tyre wholesalers that had pushed for the margin guarantees; at the time of publication the decisions were not final (an objection to the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf was possible).

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

Published

21 Jul 2026

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

NSW Fair Trading (the consumer protection regulator of New South Wales) reprimanded used car dealer OzCar Pty Ltd on 22 June 2026 and imposed conditions on its dealer licence. The regulator refers to the maximum available in disciplinary proceedings and does not state the amount imposed on the company. The investigation found a pattern of dishonest conduct between 2023 and 2025; among other things, customers reported being pressured into signing or misled about the purpose of contracts, that contracts were not properly explained – including to particularly vulnerable buyers – and that vehicles of unacceptable quality were sold. Among other things, the company must introduce a compliance programme with training for sales staff, may no longer allow waivers of the statutory cooling-off right to be pre-filled, and must fix defects affecting safety or reliability before sale.

Authority / court

NSW Fair Trading

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail · Misleading advertising and pricing

Legal basis

Motor Dealers and Repairers Act 2013 (NSW), s 45(1)(a), (b), (d) und (d1)(ii)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Automotive

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

24 Sep 2026

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Between September 2020 and September 2024, Bosch exported MEMS sensors and vehicle software worth around 72.4 million USD from outside the US without a licence to Huawei and affiliated companies on the Entity List (Foreign Direct Product Rule). Bosch voluntarily disclosed the violations; around 3.6 million USD of the penalty imposed by the US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is credited against a disgorgement agreed with the DOJ.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

Area of law

Sanctions and export control · Export control and dual-use goods

Legal basis

Export Administration Regulations (Foreign Direct Product Rule, Entity List)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Automotive

Employees

10,000 or more

Mitigating circumstances

Voluntary self-disclosure and cooperation

Published

17 Jun 2026

Original amount 36,184,680 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 16 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The Tribunal of the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE, Brazilian competition authority) unanimously fined Denso Corporation 100,787,523.05 BRL for taking part in an international cartel in wire harnesses and electrical and electronic automotive components with effects in Brazil. According to the rapporteur’s vote, Denso took part in price fixing, the allocation of projects, geographic market sharing and the exchange of sensitive information roughly between 2000 and 2008. For other participants the proceedings ended through leniency, settlements or for lack of evidence; CADE dismissed Denso’s motion for clarification (embargos) in August 2026. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.

Authority / court

Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Lei nº 12.529/2011 (Lei de Defesa da Concorrência)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Automotive

Employees

10,000 or more

Published

10 Jun 2026

Original amount 100,787,523.05 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Around 10,000 heavy-duty Volvo diesel engines from model years 2010 to 2016 used auxiliary emission control devices (AECDs) that were not disclosed during certification and emitted more NOx than permitted. The settlement with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) comprises 17.5 million USD in penalties and costs, 71 million USD for mitigation measures and 108 million USD for emission reduction projects in California.

Authority / court

California Air Resources Board (CARB)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Kalifornische Emissions- und Zertifizierungsvorschriften für schwere Nutzfahrzeugmotoren

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Automotive

Employees

10,000 or more

Mitigating circumstances

Cooperation during the investigation; recall and extended warranty for engines from model years 2014 to 2016.

Published

18 May 2026

Original amount 196,500,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

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).

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.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

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.

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

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

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.

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

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

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.

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.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The FTC finalised its order against General Motors and OnStar. According to the authority, GM used a misleading enrolment process to sign customers up for the OnStar service and the Smart Driver feature, collected precise location and driving behaviour data from millions of vehicles and sold it to third parties, including consumer reporting agencies, without clear notice and affirmative consent. GM may not disclose this data to consumer reporting agencies for five years and, for the 20-year term of the order, must obtain affirmative consent before collecting, using or sharing connected vehicle data, allow access and deletion, and offer a way to disable location collection; the order does not provide for any payment. The authority allegedly made the findings set out here; this account is not based on a final judgment.

Authority / court

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Area of law

Data protection · Marketing and consent

Legal basis

Section 5(a) FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45(a) (unlautere und irreführende Praktiken)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Automotive

Employees

10,000 or more

Published

14 Jan 2026

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Withhold Release Order: car tyres from Linglong International Europe D.O.O. Zrenjanin (Serbia) are being detained at all US ports of entry because there are indications of forced labour (ILO indicators including deception, debt bondage, isolation, retention of identity documents and withholding of wages (nine indicators in total)).

Authority / court

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Area of law

Supply chain and human rights · Forced and child labour

Legal basis

19 U.S.C. § 1307 (Tariff Act of 1930, Section 307)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Automotive

Published

18 Dec 2025

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

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.

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

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.

Authority / court

Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (GVH)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Ungarisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV (Submissionsabsprachen, Verfahrensbuße)

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.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

NSW Fair Trading (the consumer protection regulator of New South Wales) cancelled the motor dealer licence of Atom Motorss Pty Ltd on 17 November 2025 and disqualified the company for five years. Measures against individuals are not set out here. According to the release, the company had traded as a motor dealer without a licence and, when selling vehicles to consumers, had given false information from the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR, the register of security interests in personal property) in the prescribed dealer forms.

Authority / court

NSW Fair Trading

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail · Misleading advertising and pricing

Legal basis

Motor Dealers and Repairers Act 2013 (NSW), s 45(1)(f) und (g); zugrunde liegende Verstöße gegen den Motor Dealers and Repairers Act 2013 und das Australian Consumer Law

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Automotive

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

12 Mar 2026

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Valvoline wanted to acquire around 200 Oil Changers shops from Greenbriar for 625 million USD. Because the two competed directly in 25 local markets, under the proposed consent order the acquisition may only be completed if 45 shops are sold to Main Street Auto.

Authority / court

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Area of law

Competition law · Merger control

Legal basis

Section 7 Clayton Act; Section 5 FTC Act (Consent Order)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Automotive

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

According to the AGCM, ALD Automotive Italia gave long-term rental customers insufficient information about the optional liability-limitation service and about the criteria for assessing damage on return, and charged damage as unreported even where it was not visible to the naked eye for an average consumer or did not result from an incident. The authority imposed a fine of 5,000,000 EUR and prohibited continuation.

Authority / court

Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail · Information duties in online retail

Legal basis

Art. 20, 21, 22, 24, 25 Codice del consumo (D.lgs. 206/2005)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Automotive

Mitigating circumstances

The basic amount of 7,000,000 EUR was reduced to 5,000,000 EUR because ALD had remedied the information deficiencies through its own measures and mitigated their effects.

Published

9 Oct 2025

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link

On 8 September 2025, on application by the National Consumer Commission (NCC, South Africa's consumer protection authority), the National Consumer Tribunal (NCT, the consumer protection adjudicator) found that car dealer Kia East Rand (Pty) Ltd had breached section 56(3) of the Consumer Protection Act: a used car sold in September 2022 remained defective despite several repair attempts, and the dealer refused the buyer's request to cancel the sale. The Tribunal ordered a refund of the purchase price of 245,075 ZAR within ten days and imposed an administrative fine of 50,000 ZAR.

Authority / court

National Consumer Tribunal (auf Antrag der National Consumer Commission)

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail

Legal basis

Section 56(3) Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008; Verwaltungsstrafe nach Section 112

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Automotive

Repeat case

no

Original amount 50,000 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 8 Sep 2025.

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The CADE Tribunal convicted two car dealers of gun jumping: in March 2015 Navesa had acquired tangible and intangible assets from Renauto for operating Renault dealerships in Goiânia without obtaining clearance for the notifiable transaction. Although the Tribunal had ordered notification in August 2023, the parties filed the form only in November 2024; a fine totalling 5,360,560.00 BRL, payable within 30 days, was imposed. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.

Authority / court

Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo

Area of law

Competition law · Merger control

Legal basis

Art. 88 § 3 Lei nº 12.529/2011; Art. 12 II a Resolução CADE nº 24/2019

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Automotive

Published

9 Apr 2025

Original amount 5,360,560 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Apr 2025.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

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).

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

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The CMA found two cartel infringements: from 2002 to 2017 the manufacturers had agreed not to advertise recyclability rates above the statutory minimum of 85%, and from 2004 to 2018 eight of them, later joined by others, had operated a buyers' cartel agreeing not to pay companies that recycle end-of-life vehicles. Under settlement, fines totalling GBP 77,688,917 were imposed: Ford 18,541,929, Volkswagen 14,755,900, BMW 11,060,925, Nissan/Renault 9,979,826 jointly plus 2,800,646 for Nissan alone, Peugeot Citroën/Stellantis 5,189,948, Vauxhall/Opel (with General Motors and Stellantis as former and current owners) 5,171,248 in total, Jaguar Land Rover 4,626,404, Toyota 4,502,760, Mitsubishi 898,531, ACEA 114,000 and SMMT 46,800 GBP. Mercedes-Benz had reported the cartel and received full immunity; the European Commission adopted its own decision for the EU on the same day.

Authority / court

Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

Chapter I prohibition, section 2(1) Competition Act 1998

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Automotive

Employees

10,000 or more

Mitigating circumstances

20% settlement discount for all addressees; additional leniency reductions for Peugeot Citroën and Vauxhall/Opel together with their current and former owners Stellantis and General Motors (45%), the SMMT (35%) and Mitsubishi (25%); full immunity for Mercedes-Benz as the first to report.

Published

1 Apr 2025

Original amount 77,688,917 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 1 Apr 2025.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link