How much is the Toyota settlement payout?
The most prominent official payout tied to Toyota’s recall saga is a $1.2 billion criminal penalty imposed by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2014 for false statements to federal safety regulators. Beyond that, civil settlements and private lawsuits have occurred, but there is no single consolidated total for all settlements across jurisdictions and years.
What happened in the 2014 DOJ settlement
In 2014, Toyota agreed to plead guilty to a single misdemeanor count for providing false statements to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about safety issues connected to unintended acceleration. The deal requires Toyota to pay a $1.2 billion criminal penalty and to undergo oversight for several years, including probation and the appointment of an independent monitor. The arrangement also entailed a detailed plan for safety reforms and enhanced regulatory cooperation.
The following terms comprised the core elements of the agreement:
- Plea to one misdemeanor count for providing false statements to the NHTSA about vehicle safety issues related to unintended acceleration.
- Criminal penalty of $1.2 billion paid to the U.S. government.
- Three years of probation during which Toyota faced heightened oversight and reporting obligations.
- Appointment of an independent monitor to assess compliance and safety-process improvements.
- Cooperation with investigators; the deal did not require a broad admission of wrongdoing beyond the admitted facts in the case.
- Implementation of safety governance reforms and recall-related processes to prevent future lapses.
The agreement marked one of the most significant penalties in an automotive-safety investigation and shaped how Toyota approached compliance in the following years.
Other civil actions and settlements
In addition to the federal criminal case, Toyota has faced a range of civil lawsuits, consumer class actions, and regulatory settlements tied to its recalls and disclosure practices. These settlements are spread across multiple cases and jurisdictions, with totals that are not consolidated into a single number. The full cost of these civil actions depends on the specific claims resolved and ongoing litigation in different courts.
For readers seeking the bottom-line figure, the $1.2 billion criminal penalty is the largest publicly disclosed single payout related to Toyota’s recall era. Other civil outcomes contribute to the broader cost of the recalls, but they do not add up to a single, uniform total.
Summary
The central figure in Toyota’s settlement payout story remains the $1.2 billion criminal penalty issued by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2014. While civil settlements and private lawsuits continue to play a role in the broader legal landscape surrounding Toyota’s recalls, there is no single, universal payout figure that encompasses all of these actions. The long-term takeaway is that the company's safety compliance and governance reforms—driven in part by this settlement—have continued to influence its operations in the years since.
How much is the Toyota settlement payout per person?
Another $250 million will compensate owners of vehicles that are not eligible for installation of a brake-override system. These payments will be between $37 and $125 per class-action lawsuit member, according to details of the settlement.
What is the average payout for a class action settlement?
There is no single average class action lawsuit payout, as individual payouts can range from a few dollars to thousands, depending on factors like the total settlement amount, the number of class members, and the severity of the damages. For example, with a very large number of claimants, payouts might be between $10 and $50 per person, while more severe cases or smaller groups could result in payouts from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
Factors that influence individual payout amounts
- Total settlement fund: The total amount of money agreed upon in the settlement or awarded by a court.
- Number of claimants: The more people in the class action, the smaller the individual share of the settlement, potentially resulting in very small payouts.
- Severity of damages: Cases involving significant harm, such as personal injury from a medical device, typically have higher overall settlements and can lead to larger individual payouts.
- Attorney fees and expenses: Legal fees and other case-related expenses are deducted from the total settlement before the money is distributed to class members.
- Lead plaintiffs: In some cases, lead plaintiffs may receive a larger award for their role in the lawsuit.
- Documented damages: Individuals who can prove specific or greater damages may qualify for higher payments than those who cannot.
How do you check if you have a settlement check?
To check for settlement checks, contact your attorney for a case-specific check, or search state and national databases for unclaimed property and class action settlements. For case-specific checks, your attorney can provide updates; for general searches, use state-run unclaimed property websites or the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) site to search for money from banks, unpaid wages, or other sources.
For a specific settlement case
- Contact your attorney: This is the best first step if you're working with a lawyer. They are the point of contact for the defendant and can provide the most accurate status on your check.
- Follow up with the insurance company or their attorney: If you have been in direct contact with them, follow up to check the status of the check.
- Allow processing time: Be aware that it can take several weeks for the check to be issued after the settlement is finalized.
For general unclaimed money
- Use state unclaimed property databases: Many states have their own databases for unclaimed property, which can include uncashed checks, unpaid wages, and other assets. You can find your state's website through a search engine or by going to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) website.
- Check national databases: For specific types of funds, you can use the following databases:
- Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC): For unclaimed pensions.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): For veterans' life insurance funds.
- HUD/FHA: For mortgage insurance refunds.
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): For money from enforcement cases.
- Use the Treasury Hunt tool: This tool helps you search for undeliverable payments and U.S. securities.
How much will I get from Toyota class action?
But at the same time, Justice Moshinsky and the Full Court of the Federal Court capped compensation payments to 10 per cent (down from 17.5%) of the value of each model's “average retail price” – before Toyota's 2020 'field fix' is taken into account when determining RIV (reduction in value) damages.
