Edwin Coe is helping vehicle recyclers recover compensation for years of processing end-of-life vehicles without payment.

Edwin Coe is bringing a substantial class action on behalf of Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs).
The claim follows the Competition and Markets Authority's finding that major vehicle manufacturers unlawfully colluded not to pay recyclers for processing end-of-life vehicles.

If you operated an ATF during this period, your business may be entitled to substantial compensation.

What Is the Claim About?

In April 2025, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that a number of major vehicle manufacturers had participated in a long-running cartel and agreed not to pay ATFs a per-vehicle fee for recycling end-of-life vehicles. The infringement lasted from April 2004 until May 2018.

Under UK legislation, vehicle manufacturers were required to put arrangements in place to ensure that end-of-life vehicles could be recycled at no cost to the last owner. The CMA found that manufacturers coordinated their approach to these obligations and adopted a common strategy of seeking “zero treatment cost” arrangements with recyclers i.e. they refused to pay ATFs for processing ELVs.

The CMA found evidence that, in a competitive market, manufacturers may have paid recyclers for these services. It also identified examples of manufacturers discussing potential payments of £50 to £100 per vehicle, which were ultimately resisted as part of the agreed industry approach not to pay ATFs.

Who Can Claim?

You may have a claim if your business:

Operated an ATF;
Processed end-of-life vehicles between 2004 and 2018; and
Did not receive per-vehicle payments for recycling those vehicles.

Value of Claim

You may be entitled to compensation of up to £100 per end-of-life vehicle processed during the time period. Our preliminary view is that some ATFs may have claims exceeding £14 million.

What will it cost me?

We are putting in place funding for the claim with the aim that ATFs can participate without paying legal fees upfront or funding the litigation themselves.

Why Edwin Coe?

Edwin Coe is a leading claimant class action firm with extensive experience acting for businesses and individuals in complex collective proceedings. We are actively engaging with ATFs across the UK and are moving quickly to build a substantial claimant group.

Register Your Interest

To find out whether your business may qualify, please contact Sam Harris (sam.harris@edwincoe.com) in our Class Actions team.