Lawsuit Brought by Car Owner Against Honda Over Alleged Defect that Leads to Premature Battery Failure and Safety Risks
Chicago, IL
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June 10, 2021 08:05 AM Central Daylight Time
On May 18, 2021, a Honda CR-V owner filed a putative class action lawsuit on behalf of Honda vehicle owners and lessees, alleging that the automobile manufacturer sold more than 2 million vehicles with a serious defect that can cause the car battery to prematurely drain, leading to the failure of safety functions. Filed in federal court in Iowa, the lawsuit seeks to represent all U.S. consumers who purchased or leased a 2017 – 2019 Honda CR-V or a 2016 – 2019 Honda Accord.
According to the lawsuit, the Honda vehicles fail to shut down properly after the car is parked and turned off, draining the battery. Left unrepaired, this defect results in the permanent destruction of the vehicle’s battery and other safety component failures, such as emergency hazard lights.
According to Elizabeth A. Fegan, founder and managing member of consumer-rights law firm FeganScott, Honda knew about the defect and did not offer a reliable solution or issue a recall of the affected vehicles.
The complaint alleges that despite sharing internal Service Bulletins to its authorized dealerships concerning the defect, Honda merely instructed its dealers to update internal software and replace dead batteries in certain vehicles. But, according to the complaint, Honda already knew that these “corrective” actions would not solve the parasitic draining defect nor make the vehicles any more dependable for their owners.
“Honda claims that they manufacture high-quality cars that keep drivers safe, but by continually hiding this information, they’ve endangered consumers and have forced them to make costly repairs,” said Fegan. “This manufacturer has failed to fulfill even the most basic responsibilities required by law, and we intend to hold them accountable through this suit.”
The lawsuit cites more than 120 public complaints from the scores that were filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), all of which reference various issues related to the battery draining or engine stalling. Another complaint posted on carcomplaints.com details how a driver reported that her CR-V “completely stalled out again” while driving, “leaving [her] in danger of” getting hit by other vehicles.
The lawsuit alleges that Honda drivers believed the manufacturer’s claims of the vehicles being safe in the design and dependable. According to the complaint, “[h]ad the Plaintiff and other class members known of the defect at the time of purchase or lease, they would not have bought or leased the class vehicles or would have paid substantially less for them.”
“Honda has been a trusted and popular car brand in the United States for decades, and consumers have relied on these vehicles to safely get them from point A to B, only to have Honda recklessly put drivers in harm’s way,” Fegan noted. “Betraying this trust isn’t just about the inconvenience of a dead battery – Honda has actually endangered the lives of the consumers that they claim to protect.”
Consumers who are interested in learning more about this class-action suit are urged to send their contact information to info@feganscott.com.
Case No. Case 4:21-cv-00148-JAJ-CFB
About FeganScott
FeganScott is a national class action law firm dedicated to helping victims of consumer fraud, sexual abuse, and discrimination. The firm is championed by acclaimed veteran attorneys who have successfully recovered $1 billion for victims nationwide. FeganScott is committed to pursuing successful outcomes with integrity and excellence while holding the responsible parties accountable.
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Mark Firmani
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