An AP article from ABC7Chicago.com is saying that Daimler-Chrysler has settled lending bias cases in Illinois and New Jersey:
Daimler-Chrysler’s North American financing arm has tentatively settled class-action lawsuits brought by minority customers in Chicago and New Jersey. Those customers alleged that there was racial bias in the automaker’s lending policies.
Daimler-Chrysler Services North America agreed to spend one-point-seven (M) million dollars in the Chicago case and one-point-eight (M) million in New Jersey.
That money would be used to provide Daimler-Chrysler employees with anti-discrimination training and sponsor consumer financial literacy programs in minority communities.
The Chicago settlement comes more than two years after a group of black and Hispanic customers filed a lawsuit alleging Daimler-Chrysler discriminated against their credit applications. The lawsuit led to a boycott of the automaker’s vehicles.