Mazda Allegedly Hid Engine Valve Defect, Faces Class Action Lawsuit

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Mazda Motor of America Inc. has been named in a engine valve defect class action lawsuit and faces allegations of willfully concealing defect information from consumers and refusing to repair the alleged defect.

According to the Mazda class action lawsuit, Mazda created false advertisements claiming their newest vehicles were free of defects, even though the automaker was allegedly aware that many of their new vehicles’ engines had a faulty continuous variable valve-timing assembly defect.

This engine valve defect has the potential to cause partial or total engine failure in the allegedly faulty Mazda vehicles. The class action lawsuit further alleges that although the affected vehicles were under warranty, Mazda allegedly refused to honor the warranty by not fixing the issue, thus constituting a breach in warranty.

This Mazda engine valve defect class action lawsuit was filed by New Jersey resident James Stevenson, owner of a 2008 Mazda CX7. Like many of the Mazda vehicles allegedly affected in this class action lawsuit, Stevenson’s car was purchased from a certified dealership and was marketed as defect-free with an accompanying warranty.

In 2012, Stevenson’s car warranty was extended an additional seven years. In November 2013, when the engine valve defect was allegedly found in his vehicle, Stevenson claims Mazda was under obligation to fix the problem per the warranty agreement, but allegedly refused to do so.

Stevenson claims that Mazda was aware of the defect in his and other Class Members’ cars as early as 2007. “Upon information and belief, Mazda realized that its implementation of Mazda VVT technology in the Defective Engines contained a serious defect at least as early as 2007, when Mazda issued to its authorized dealers its Technical Service Bulletin (‘TSB’) 01-043/07 dated November 29, 2007,” the Mazda class action lawsuit says. “Because Mazda would have conducted an investigation of the defect prior to issuance of the TSB, Mazda’s actual defect knowledge extends prior to November 2007.”

Based on this and other factual evidence, Stevenson and his legal counsel charge Mazda with allegations of violating New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, and fraudulent concealment.

Stevenson aims to represent himself in this engine valve defect class action lawsuit, as well as a Class of consumers that would include “All adult persons domiciled or residing in New Jersey who purchased and/or leased at least one vehicle manufactured by Mazda with a defective VVT assembly.” This Mazda engine valve defect class action lawsuit was filed just two months after a similar defect class action lawsuit was dismissed in California.

James Stevenson is represented by Mitchell Breit of Simmons Hanly Conroy, T. Christopher Tuck of Richardson Patrick Westbrook & Brickman LLC and Terry W. West and Bradley C. West of The West Law Firm.

The Mazda Engine Valve Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Stevenson v. Mazda Motor of America Inc., Case No. 3:14-cv-05250, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.