CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Ford Motor Co.'s Australian subsidiary has been fined 10 million Australian dollars ($7.6 million) by an Australian court for mishandling customer complaints about faulty automatic transmissions in thousands of cars.

The fine in the Federal Court on Thursday equals the largest penalty ever for a breach of Australian Consumer Law, matching that imposed on the Coles supermarket chain in 2014 for misconduct toward suppliers.

The consumer watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, took action against Ford Australia for mishandling

customer complaints made between May 2015 and February 2016 over cars that shuddered, jerked or lost power because of faulty transmissions.

Ford has agreed to establish an independent complaints review program for customers who were refused a refund or no-cost replacement car. Review hearings will begin in July.