Honda class action overview:
- Who: A group of Honda owners are suing the automaker.
- Why: The plaintiffs claim some Honda vehicles have defective white paint that can peel and flake.
- Where: The class action was filed in a California federal court.
Honda has been hit with a new class action lawsuit alleging certain models of its vehicles from model year 2013 onward suffer from a white paint defect that leads to peeling, bubbling, and flaking.
Plaintiffs Jim Clemmens, Terri Hernandez, and Marie Toussaint filed the class action complaint against American Honda Motor Company Inc. on Nov. 12, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.
The plaintiffs claim that Honda was aware of the issue but failed to disclose it, leaving affected customers with costly repairs or diminished vehicle value.
According to the lawsuit, the defect applies to all model years from 2013 to the present of the following vehicles:
- Acura MDX in White Diamond Pearl paint (NH-603P)
- Honda Odyssey in White Diamond Pearl paint (NH-603P) or Taffeta White paint (NH-578)
- Honda Pilot in Taffeta White paint (Paint Code NH-578)
- Honda Fit in White Orchid Pearl or Bellanova White paint (Paint Code NH-788P)
- Honda HR-V in White Orchid Pearl or Bellanova White paint (Paint Code NH-788P)
The plaintiffs claim the defect stems from problems in Honda’s manufacturing process, particularly with the application of “three-stage” white paint, which gives cars a pearlescent finish.
The defect allegedly causes the paint to delaminate and fail, reducing the cars’ value and forcing owners to either live with unsightly damage or pay out-of-pocket for repainting.
“The appearance of the surface significantly affects a customer’s perception of product quality,” the lawsuit says, adding that the defect goes beyond aesthetics to impact resale value and protection against rust.
While Honda extended warranties for some models of the vehicles, the plaintiffs say the automaker hasn’t done enough to remedy the problem. They say repainting fails to fully resolve the issue, as the defect remains in other parts of the vehicle.
As a result, the plaintiffs are suing on behalf of anyone in the United States who bought or leased one of the affected vehicles. They are suing Honda for fraudulent concealment, breach of warranty, and violations of consumer protection laws in California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and seeking certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.
Meanwhile, Honda is recalling about 720,000 vehicles over concerns they may have leaky fuel pumps that put drivers at risk of a fire or a crash.
What do you think about the allegations in this Honda class action? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Daniel L. Keller of Keller, Fishback & Jackson LLP and Stephen J. Fearon, Jr. and Paul V. Sweeny of Squitieri & Fearon LLP.
The Honda class action is Jim Clemmens et al. v. American Honda Motor Company Inc., Case No. 2:24-cv-09728 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
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231 thoughts onHonda class action alleges some vehicles have paint defect
I have a problem with my 2015 Honda Civic SI. White paint is peeling from the back of the roof and top of my trunk.
I ihave same loacation and same peeling issue on my 2016 white CRV. Wjat can I do??
2015 Honda CR-V: paint peeling above the tailgate window. It appears to be a very common problem among all colors. Mine is a metallic grey.
I ihave same loacation and same peeling issue on my 2016 white CRV. Wjat can I do??
I am disgusted with the gamesmanship shown by both my local Honda Dealer and Honda NA. I have an issue with the black plastic trim on my white HRV. The paint is bubbling on the trim and the passenger side trim piece actually partially detached after I took it to the dealership for service. The exact same issue happened last year when the car was under warranty. The dealership fixed it under warranty but it was a big fight. Of course, you as the consumer are not told that there is a specific process involved in filing a complaint with Honda. Although I took the car back to the dealership to have it reviewed, at the suggestion of the second customer service person to whom I spoke, she did not tell me to have it offficially documented. Whoops. So, now if I don’t pay $250+ for a diagnostic fee to the dealership for a repair that cost them $189.00 when it was “fixed” last year, Honda won’t address my claim. Of course, the dealership has “no records” of my interaction with them. Although I have two emails from the general manager regarding the problem. Honda has now spent hours discussing this problem with me, for a repair that last year cost less than $200.00. Seems a less than cost effective waste of time for them and really bad customer service.
I have a 2018 Honda HRV pearl white and the paint is peeling off the roof of the car. The car only was 45000 miles. Went back to dealership and was told there was nothing they would be able to help with. Contact Honda corporate office and has also told they would not be able to assist. How do you join the lawsuit against Honda. They were aware of the issue with the paint but not willing to help.
My Honda HRV 2018 is starting to peel. It is the white color that I see is having major issues. How do I go about joining this lawsuit?
My 2013 honda pilot is peeling on all sides. I live on social Security of 330 dollars a month, can’t afford 10000 to get it repainted. Am I included in this lawsuit thank you. Have a 2011 maroon honda. Pilot that the paint is very terrible looking also. If you can help let me know . Yhank you
We had purchased a used 2013 honda pilot a couple months ago
We weren’t told about the problem with the paint, only
When it started to flake off and talk to shop to see about having it painted did we found that there was a problem with that color white .
I have a 2011 white Honda Pilot which I purchased from my Honda dealer. I was not told about the possible defect. Not long after, peeling paint!
2015 white Honda civic peeling around the whole rear window