Spain's car cartel: Supreme Court raises compensation to 5% and makes Stellantis pay for Chevrolets

On 22 October 2026 the Civil Chamber of Spain's Supreme Court handed down two judgments against Stellantis España, the company that now brings together brands such as Citroën, Peugeot and Opel: one on a claim by 20 Citroën buyers, and judgment 1645/2026 on a claim by 62 Opel and Chevrolet buyers. In both cases the Provincial Court of Pontevedra had awarded the buyers 2% of the price of their cars. The Supreme Court raises it to 5%, plus statutory interest from the date each vehicle was bought.

The court explains that the exact overcharge is very hard to calculate and that this difficulty cannot leave buyers without compensation. It therefore makes a judicial estimate of the damage and sets it at 5%, the same percentage it already applied to those affected by the trucks cartel. It also warns that this 5% is not, strictly speaking, a minimum compensation: in each case, the court decides on the evidence provided.

In judgment 1645/2026, the Supreme Court orders Stellantis España, which now answers for Opel, to compensate buyers of Chevrolet, another brand that took part in the cartel, as well. According to the court, liability arises from taking part in the conduct that caused the overcharge, so the company is liable even if the car is of another brand involved in the infringement.

Spanish case law calls this solidaridad impropia (a court-made form of joint and several liability): the injured party can demand full compensation from one of those responsible, and whoever pays then recovers the others' share. How this criterion will apply to other brands will be settled by the courts. And one important caveat: under this type of liability, claiming from one company does not interrupt the limitation period against the others.

Anyone who bought a new car of one of the sanctioned brands while the cartel lasted, between February 2006 and August 2013. The dates are worth checking: that is the overall period, and the CNMC states that each company took part for a different length of time, in several cases shorter.

In July 2015 the CNMC fined 21 manufacturers and distributors and two consultancies a total of 171 million euros for exchanging confidential commercial information. They include those of Citroën, Peugeot, Renault, Ford, Opel, Chevrolet, Toyota, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Fiat, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Honda, Volvo, Mitsubishi and Chrysler, which also sold other brands included in the case, such as Dacia, Mini, Smart, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Jeep or Lexus. The companies behind Seat, Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Porsche were exempted from paying their fines under the leniency programme.

Private buyers can claim, and so can autónomos (self-employed workers) and companies that bought vehicles for their business. What is claimed is the overcharge paid, so the purchase price shown on the invoice or the contract is what counts.

Yes, and it is the first thing to check. In a case about this same cartel, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on 4 September 2025 (case C-21/24) that the limitation period cannot start before the sanction becomes final, even if it was published earlier. Competition damages claims become time-barred after five years, and the Supreme Court confirmed the sanctions of most of the companies between 20 April and 1 December 2021.

Counting five years from those judgments, which is the prudent count, the deadline has already passed for almost every brand, unless it was interrupted in time: Opel's, for example, on 5 October 2026. The one for Toyota and Lexus is still open until 1 December 2026, according to the Basque Government's indicative calendar. Some cases have different dates, such as Mazda, whose appeal the Supreme Court did not finally decide until 9 March 2026, so the date has to be checked case by case.

The October judgments do not reopen expired periods. The limitation period is interrupted by an out-of-court claim (article 1973 of the Spanish Civil Code), but only against the company that receives it. If you bought an affected Toyota or Lexus and have not claimed yet, it is advisable to send the formal demand before 1 December 2026 and to keep proof that it was sent and received. If your car is of another brand, check first whether your claim is still alive.

Gather the purchase invoice or contract, the vehicle registration certificate and, if you financed it, the loan agreement; check that the brand and the purchase date fall within the period in which that company took part and that the claim is not time-barred; work out the amount, taking as a reference the 5% of the price applied by the Supreme Court, plus statutory interest from the purchase; and send the formal demand to the company. If it does not pay, the claim goes to court.