Class Action Filed Over Alleged Problems with Honda Odyssey, Pilot 'Infotainment' System [UPDATE]
by Erin Shaak
Last Updated on January 19, 2022
Conti et al v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Filed: March 22, 2019 ◆§ 2:19cv2160
A proposed class action lawsuit filed in California against American Honda Motor Co., Inc. alleges that model years 2018 and 2019 Honda Odyssey vehicles and model year 2019 Honda Pilots come equipped with defective “infotainment” systems.
Case Updates
January 19, 2021 – Settlement Receives Final Approval
U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney has granted final approval to the settlement detailed below, concluding in a January 4 order that the deal is “fair, reasonable, and adequate.”
Those covered by the settlement still have until March 5, 2022 to file a claim. To access the claim forms, head to this page on the official settlement website.
Now that the deal has received final approval, reimbursement payments will be sent out following the resolution of any appeals.
December 10, 2021 – File a Claim: $33M Honda Odyssey, Pilot Infotainment Settlement Awaits Final Approval
The $33 million settlement for the proposed class action detailed on this page has been sent to U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney for final approval, the last hurdle in the overall class action settlement process.
Judge Carney preliminarily approved the deal on June 4, 2021. The settlement covers all current or former owners and lessees of a 2018 or 2019 Honda Odyssey equipped with Elite, EX, EX-L, EX-LNR or Touring trim levels; a 2019 Honda Pilot with 2EX-LNR, 2TRG, 2TRG 7P, 4Elite, 4EX, 4EX-L, 4EX-LNR, 4TRG or 4TRG 7P trim levels; or a 2019 Honda Passport with 2EX-L, 2TRG, 4Elite, 4EX-L and 4TRG trim levels, who reside in the U.S., its territories and Puerto Rico, including U.S. military personnel who bought any of the vehicles while on active military duty.
The official settlement website can be found here.
To access the claim forms, head to this page. The settlement website states that eligible Honda drivers should have received the forms by mail and/or email along with notice of the settlement. All valid claims must be postmarked and sent to the settlement administrator by March 5, 2022.
Through the settlement, eligible consumers can receive reimbursement for certain out-of-pocket expenses and either two years of free HondaLink Security Service (for Elite and Touring trim vehicles) or one year of free SiriusXM Select service (for EX and EX-L trim vehicles). The settlement also includes an extension of Honda’s warranty to five years or 60,000 miles and software updates to resolve future infotainment system issues.
If you do not file a claim by the deadline, you will still receive Honda’s extended warranty coverage and benefit from enhanced dealer training and guidance for covered infotainment system repairs, but will not receive reimbursement for eligible out-of-pocket expenses or HondaLink Security’s or SiriusXM’s services.
The hearing on final approval is slated for January 4, 2022, after which, should the deal be approved and no appeals are filed, compensation should begin to be distributed to Honda drivers. The settlement site states that American Honda Motor Co. expressly and vigorously denies the allegations in the class action and that it engaged in any wrongdoing.
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June 14, 2019 - Amended Complaint Filed
The plaintiffs and their counsel filed an amended complaint against American Honda Motor Co. on June 10, 2019. The updated lawsuit can be read here.
A proposed class action lawsuit filed in California against American Honda Motor Co., Inc. alleges that model years 2018 and 2019 Honda Odyssey vehicles and model year 2019 Honda Pilots come equipped with defective “infotainment” systems. According to the case, the vehicles’ “infotainment” system, which is responsible for features such as navigation, radio, hands-free phone, and the rearview camera, frequently freezes or crashes and renders some of the cars’ functions inoperable.
The plaintiffs, an Ohio couple, claim their Honda Odyssey’s “infotainment” system began malfunctioning only a month after the car was purchased and would fail to play any audio while displaying the message “radio unavailable.” According to the lawsuit, many other Odyssey and Pilot drivers have reported problems with the system, to the point that Consumer Reports supposedly downgraded its rating of the 2018 Odyssey to “No Longer Recommended” due to “much-worse-than-average reliability, with problems including the infotainment display freezing and losing all functionality.”
Perhaps worse, the lawsuit points out that the alleged defect also presents a safety hazard because it disables certain safety features, such as the rearview camera, and often occurs while the vehicle is in motion, causing drivers to become distracted.
The plaintiffs claim Honda is fully aware of the vehicles’ defective system yet has provided no remedy to consumers. The couple, the suit says, has attempted to repair their Odyssey a staggering eight times only to continue experiencing the same problems.
“…Honda has not found a solution to the infotainment system defect,” the complaint reads. “Instead, Honda simply replaces defective parts with equally defective parts, thereby leaving consumers caught in a cycle of use, malfunction, and replacement.”
The case argues that the plaintiffs and other Odyssey and Pilot drivers “have incurred and will continue to incur significant expenses” due to Honda’s alleged failure to disclose and repair the apparent defect.
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