Anne Bucher  |  September 20, 2013

Category: Consumer News

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Honda class action lawsuitAmerican Honda Motor Co. has agreed to a class action lawsuit settlement over claims it manufactured defective Accord vehicles that burn oil too quickly. As part of the settlement agreement, Honda has agreed to provide “valuable benefits” to Class Members to resolve the litigation.

The Honda Accord class action lawsuit was originally filed in March 2012 by plaintiffs Vince Eagen and Alex Soto. They claimed that 2008-2010 Honda Accords contained a “systematic design defect that enables oil to enter into the engine’s combustion chamber,” causing the engine to excessively consume oil. This alleged defect led to engine malfunction and premature spark plug degradation. The plaintiffs claimed that Honda refused to honor warranties covering the defective Accords.

According to the class action lawsuit, Honda had received hundreds of online complaints about the Honda Accord oil defects and issued a technical service bulletin notifying Honda technicians to check for symptoms of the defect. Despite this knowledge, Honda refused to take action to fix the problem, the plaintiffs said.

Further, the plaintiffs alleged that even though the defective engines needed to be repaired within the warranty period, Honda refused to fix the parts for free. Instead, Honda told its customers to check their vehicles’ oil levels every time they get gas. Eagen claims that he had to add a quart of oil to his Accord each month, and had to replace his prematurely corroded spark plugs twice within 55,000 miles of driving.

Under the terms of the Honda Accord class action settlement, Honda agreed to extend the Powertrain Limited Warranty of each settlement class vehicle for engine misfiring for up to eight years after the original sale or lease of the vehicle, without imposing a mileage restriction. Honda also agreed not to contest the class counsel attorneys’ fees if they do not exceed $800,000 and will allow Class Members to submit a claim for reimbursement for their out-of-pocket expenses.

The class action lawsuit was also amended to limit Class Members to include only owners and lessees whose vehicles may have experienced engine misfire, to include only allegations related to engine misfire, and to voluntarily dismiss claims related to excessive oil consumption in 4-cylinder Accord vehicles.

This class action settlement was reached after a California judge declined to force arbitration on the case in October 2012. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston found that Honda was a third-party non-signatory to a contract and therefore was not able to compel arbitration under the contract’s terms.

Details on how to file a claim for the Honda Accord Oil Defect Class Action Lawsuit were not immediately available. Keep checking Top Class Actions or sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter below to receive settlement updates.

The settlement Class Members are represented by Steven Berk and Matthew Bonness of Berk Law PLLC; Beth Terrell and Kimberlee L. Gunning of Terrell Marshall Daudt & Willie PLLC; Michael Ram and Jeffrey B. Cereghino of Ram Olson Cereghino & Kopczynski LLP; and Lawrence Deutsch, Sharon Carson and Eugene Tompkins of Berger & Montague PC.

The Honda Accord Oil Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Alex Soto et al. v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc., Case No. 3:12-cv-01377, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

 

UPDATE 1: Federal judge gives preliminary approval to the Honda Accord Oil Defect Class Action Settlement on October 9, 2013.

UPDATE 2: This class action settlement now includes other Honda vehicles, including the Honda Accord, Odyssey and Crosstour. Details on how to file a claim to receive reimbursement for repair costs can be found here.

UPDATE 3: A federal judge granted final approval to the Honda engine misfire class action settlement at a March 21, 2014, Final Fairness Hearing.

UPDATE 4: Reimbursements from the Honda Engine Misfire Class Action Settlement were mailed July 14, 2014. A second wave of checks will go out this Fall, according to the Settlement Administrator. If you get a check, let us know!

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155 thoughts onClass Action Settlement Reached Over Honda Accord Oil Defect

  1. Cristina Villarreal says:

    Hello, my Honda Accord is a 2008 and I barely have 141,000 miles on it. I’m just now starting to have oil consumption issues. Do I still qualify for the settlement? I don’t recall getting any letter or money for this issue in 2014 and I’ve been at the same address for past 20 yrs.

  2. Kenneth Wilson says:

    I own a 2008 Accord V6 EX. I have 113,000 miles on it and after a $1700 valve cover replacement and a oil pan gasket replacement, AutoNation Honda on Thornton Rd says that I need a rear main seal replacement to the tune of $2100! I’ve owned six Honda accords without this unnecessary and untimely performance. Can anybody out there in HondaWorld help….or am I stuck?

  3. Vince Kramer says:

    I am a little slow to this cause as I live in the city and rare drive my Honda except on long trips to visit friends and family, which twice have left me stranded due to this problem. My 2009 Honda Accord does not even have 90,000 miles on it and I am looking at complete engine rebuild due to the problem and Honda has been dragging their feet for two months now, under the cover of COVID, to make a decision if they will assist in this expense. I am looking for advice as to how to push my cause/case for the financial burden it has caused.

  4. Honda Hater says:

    I used to love Honda, but after they did a number of dishonest things, I realized they, and their dealerships cannot be trusted.

    I will limit this comment to the issue at hand.

    If you think your car may be suffering from this Honda defect, BEWARE, when you bring it in for diagnosis and repair. When I did, they insisted that they must do an oil change first, then check the oil level after I drive 1000 miles. After 300 miles I checked the oil level myself, and was quite shocked and angry to find that the oil level was WAY TOO HIGH!

    So either my Honda oil is GROWING on its own, or they overfilled my Accord with oil, so after it burned a quart or two, the oil level still wouldn’t register as low!

    Which do you think is the case?

    (Yes, I checked on a level service, with a cold engine, and again when it was warm, and yes, I then got a local mechanic to check and document the oil level)

    In addition, even if they fix the problem, or your car has not developed the problem by the time the extended warranty expires, what is the resale value of a car with a known defect? What if the car develops the problem 3 months, or 5000 miles after the warranty expires. Too bad, too sad, right! You are still screwed!!

    DO NOT BUY A HONDA !!

  5. Kim Cleveland says:

    This issue is still going on with the newer model Honda accords. I have a 2014 Honda Accord Sport and I am currently having this same issue. Quite an expensive repair. How do I find out if there is an open class action lawsuit for the newer models.

    1. Michael A says:

      Hi Kim,
      I was just wondering whatever happened to your car consuming oil, since I have the same model and year car and its burning oil. Were be able to take it to dealership and have them fix the issue?

      1. Kristina says:

        I have a Honda Accord 2014 and we are having the same issue with Oil. Any updates? Honda told us to add oil and check frequently but didn’t offer to fix the problem

  6. angela nurse says:

    I was taking my Honda for a brake light socket after reading I wiil not be going there.i bet a lot of jamacains work ther e nasty people

  7. Fred says:

    My 2008 Accord 4 cylinder engine uses about 1 qt/1000 miles. In my book this is excessive oil burn. Is there a class action on this problem?

  8. Elder Gonzalez Jr. says:

    Tengo un Accord 2009, quisiera que me incluyan. Tengo mucho problema con el consumo de aceite, se apaga entre otras cosas. Por favor necesito ayuda.

  9. Erick Alvarez says:

    yo acabo de comprar un Accord 2008 y tengo el mismo problema, me consume 1 litro cada 1,00 km, que puedo hacer

  10. Greg Saunders says:

    How can I get my 2010 Accord 4 cylinder fixed?

    1. Dominick says:

      i have the same problem with my 2010 Accord? tou most likely have engine blow by, which causes oil consumption,, A simple test to see if you have blow by is to start the engine and then remove the oil cap,, If you see and feel blow by gases coming out of the oil cover . then you have blow by.. they can do all the consumption test that they want, But that wont change the fact that the engine need pistons or valve guides..

      Good Luck dealing with Honda

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