Mercedes-Benz settles in price-fixing lawsuit

Mercedes-Benz has decided to settle in a lawsuit filed against it in the U.S., which claims the carmaker and several of its dealers in the New York region are guilty of price fixing. The case, which was first filed nearly nine years ago, has come to an end with Mercedes America agreeing to a $9.5 million settlement and 23 individual dealers also agreeing to an $8 million settlement.

The class-action suit alleges Mercedes-Benz and the dealers "unlawfully agreed to fix, raise, maintain and stabilize prices" of vehicles sold in the New York area, reports Automotive News. The suit alleged customers paid more than they otherwise would have for the vehicles.

According to the terms of the settlement, individual Mercedes owners who participated in the suit will be paid set amounts by a court-appointed administrator. The case covers cars sold or leased between Feb. 1, 1992, and Aug. 30, 1999. The range of payouts starts with $100 for owners of the C-Class and tops out at $896 for CL owners.

Mercedes and the dealers "deny liability and have settled purely to avoid the expense and uncertainty of complex litigation," according to legal documents.