Class Action: Monro’s Sale of Aftermarket Catalytic Converters Out of Step with Federal, NY Laws

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Monro, Inc. is staring down a proposed class action filed by a New York consumer who claims the company sells aftermarket replacement catalytic converters without complying with state and federal laws that outline warranty and emissions performance requirements.

According to the 33-page lawsuit, federal law mandates that all aftermarket replacement catalytic converters be warranted to comply with federal emissions performance standards for 25,000 miles after purchase and installation. Federal law further stipulates that an aftermarket catalytic converter must come with a five-year, 50,000-mile warranty on the part’s converter shell and end pipes, the case adds. New York law is similar, requiring that aftermarket converters be warranted against all defects for at least five years or 50,000 miles, according to the suit.

Despite these clear federal and state regulations, Monro has a “uniform policy” of selling and installing aftermarket catalytic converters without adequately informing its customers of the applicable, legally mandated warranties, the lawsuit says. Further, Monro, in some instances, also allegedly fails to provide its customers with warranty cards altogether.

The worst of it, the complaint states, is Monro’s reported policy of falsely representing to customers that the warranties on their aftermarket converters are only good “for the earlier of 90 days or 4,000 miles.” Monro, the lawsuit goes on, “routinely refuses” to replace catalytic converters that fail after this short time frame, even when a part fails within the much longer period outlined by state and federal laws.