Lear Corp. (LEA) will become the eighth major auto parts supplier to file for Chapter 11 protection since 2005 as the industry has struggled amid declining sales and high costs. Since one parts maker often supplies several car companies, any trouble in shipping parts can lead to disruptions, including the shutdown of auto plants.

Lear is the No. 2 supplier worldwide for automotive seating systems and among the top five for electrical distribution systems, with net sales of $13.6 billion last year. It ranked 157 in the Fortune 500. The company, headquartered in Southfield, Mich., has 80,000 employees at 210 facilities in 36 countries. General Motors (GM) accounted for 23% of its sales in 2008; Ford Motor Co. (F) for 19%.

So, who were the seven major auto suppliers to precede Lear in bankruptcy filings?

Collins & Aikman

Collins & Aikman once made parts for just about every single U.S.-built car. The 116-year-old company closed in late 2007, after completing the sale of its last major operations to a private equity group led by billionaire Wilbur Ross. The company got into trouble under the leadership of ex-Reagan administration budget director David Stockman, who steered it toward expansion just as the U.S. auto industry began a steep downturn. The company filed for Chapter 11 in 2005.

Delphi

Delphi (DPHIQ) unveiled a plan to emerge from its nearly four-year-old Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 1. The deal calls for Delphi to sell four U.S. auto-parts plants and its steering business to former parent GM. But the bulk of Delphi’s assets would be sold to Platinum Equity, a Beverly Hills, Calif., private-equity firm in a transaction largely backed by GM. Delphi’s creditors went to federal bankruptcy court, attempting to thwart the proposed $3.6 billion acquisition, deriding it as a “sweetheart deal.” A court hearing is set for July 23.

Tower Automotive

Tower Automotive emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy nearly two years ago and sold most of its assets to the private-equity firm – and former Chrysler parent – Cerberus Capital Management. Tower, a supplier of metal structural components, filed for Chapter 11 in 2005, and subsequently undertook a restructuring that included closing 16 manufacturing facilities and selling off ancillary businesses.

Visteon

Visteon (VSTN), a former unit of Ford, filed for bankruptcy on May 28. The auto-parts maker is seeking bankruptcy-court permission to cancel its retiree health-care and life insurance obligations, a move the company says would erase $310 million in liabilities from the company’s balance sheet. It also says it has reached a deal to sell its Alabama air-conditioning subsidiary to a Korean company that Visteon also controls but that isn’t under bankruptcy protection.

Metaldyne

Metaldyne also sought Chapter 11 protection in May with deals in hand to sell its powertrain and its chassis business units. RHJ International has offered $75 million in cash and debt for the powertrain business, the offer that will set a floor price at the July 24 auction. The Carlyle Group private-equity firm had signed a nonbinding letter of intent to acquire the chassis segment, but the two parties haven’t been able to come to terms on a purchase agreement.

Dana Holding

Dana Holding (DAN) emerged from bankruptcy in February, 2008, nearly two years after filing for Chapter 11 protection. The Toledo, Ohio, maker of axles, driveshafts and structural products for auto makers emerged with $2 billion in exit financing from a consortium of investment firms – Citigroup Global Markets, Lehman Brothers, and Barclays Capital.

Dura Automotive Systems

Dura Automotive Systems filed for Chapter 11 protections in October 2006, and emerged from bankruptcy a year ago. In January, it took initial steps toward becoming a private company. The company is the largest independent designer and maker of driver control systems, and a leading supplier of door modules, glass systems and seat mechanisms.

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