BMW is taking legal action against two of its providers because of price-fixing on air conditioning components, the German automaker stated on Wednesday.
The case was first reported in the Handelsblatt newspaper, which stated that BMW was taking legal action against France’s Valeo and Japan’s Denso for damages of 141 million euros ($155.4 million).
A BMW spokesman confirmed the case but refused to provide details.
The case is associated with a decision in 2017 here by the European Union’s competition authority to put a fine on several auto part makers – including Valeo and Denso – a total of 155 million euros for being involved in cartels in a number of their markets.
The cartels identified by the European Commission associated with air conditioning and engine cooling systems, from as early as 2004 until 2009.
All the companies admitted misconduct in return for a 10% reduction in their fines.
The cartels affected automakers such as Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Suzuki, Nissan, Renault, and Jaguar Land Rover.
