Honda Seeks MDL In Vibrating Defect Class Action Lawsuit

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Last week, a motion to consolidate cases in California was filed in the class action lawsuit alleging American Honda Motor Co. Inc. hid vibration problems in its 2015 CR-V from consumers.

The lead plaintiff alleged in her class action lawsuit filed earlier this year that Honda failed to inform consumers of a known defect in the Honda CR-V vehicles’ engines and transmissions that causes the car to vibrate while idling and when in drive.

According to the Honda class action lawsuit, this alleged defect causes the CR-V vehicles to vibrate “to the point of nausea.” The plaintiff claims she requested a full refund when she learned of the defect, but Honda refused.

Last Thursday, Honda filed a motion to consolidate related class action lawsuits in California federal court. In doing so, Honda joined with one group of plaintiffs, but against another set of plaintiffs who argue that the cases should be centralized in Ohio.

According to the latter group of class action plaintiffs, Ohio would be more central to a proposed nationwide Class. The plaintiffs also pointed out that American Honda Motor Co. Inc. has significant research, design and manufacturing operations in Columbus, Ohio.

Representatives for the group of plaintiffs who want the cases to be consolidated in Ohio said, “You’d be asking four of the plaintiffs’ groups to literally fly over Ohio,” by moving the litigation to California. The plaintiffs for Ohio also noted that the Southern District of Ohio, where the class action would be tried, has a “less crowded docket.”

Honda, and the plaintiffs who want the class action lawsuit tried in California, argued that because American Honda Motor is based in greater Los Angeles, it would be more appropriate to consolidate the MDL into a California federal court. “There’s always a substantial amount of parent-company discovery,” pointed out a representative.

The California plaintiffs and Honda also noted that Honda is based in California, while the automobiles in question may have been made in disparate locations across North America, making California a more logical judicial venue.

The plaintiffs who want the Honda vibration defect class action lawsuits tried in Ohio counter-argued that although Honda’s sales team is in California, a top Honda executive resides in Ohio. “Although marketing and sales are certainly relevant to plaintiffs’ claims, the manufacturing center will contain the research and design witnesses crucial to plaintiffs’ claims that Honda has sold defective vehicles,” argue the Ohio plaintiffs.

A representative for the California group also contended that since the first-filed case concerning the alleged defect was lodged by plaintiff Vivian Romaya in California and that two of six pending cases already are before U.S. District Judge Fernando M. Olguin are there, the cases should consolidated in California.

The claims in the class actions subject to consolidation have not been addressed by Honda at this time.

The Honda Vibrating Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Romaya v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc., Case No. 2:15-cv-03938, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

The proposed Honda Vibrating Defect MDL is now In re: American Honda Motor Co. Inc. CR-V Vibration Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, Case No. 2661, in the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.

UPDATE: September 2018, the Honda CR-V vibration class action settlement is now open. Click here for more information.