Volkswagen Agrees To $57M Suspension Defect Class Action Settlement

Volkswagen and vehicle owners have agreed to a settlement worth $57 million which puts to rest a class action lawsuit claiming that the company sold vehicles with defective suspensions.

According to the settlement agreement, Class Members will receive two free tire rotations until their vehicle reaches 110,000 miles.

The Volkswagen class action settlement states, “In order to receive a free tire rotation, current owners and lessees of Settlement Class Vehicles shall present to any authorized Volkswagen dealership in the United States or Puerto Rico, the certificate of eligibility that will be made available for download via the Settlement website or, if the Settlement Class Member so requests, will be made available by the Claim Administrator.”

In addition, Class Members will receive reimbursement for past expenses that were paid prior to the effective date of the settlement as long as it is within 35,000 miles of use.

The Volkswagen class action settlement notes, “Any pro rata reimbursement…shall be limited to a maximum of $209.00 for each qualifying 235/45R17 replacement tire, and $254.00 for each qualifying 235/40R18 replacement tire.”

In addition, Class Members will be entitled to reimbursement of up to $56 for past out-of-pocket expenses on each qualified tire rotation that were paid for prior to the effective date of the settlement and which are within 9,000 of tire usage.

The class action lawsuit was filed in August 2017 alleging that a defect in Volkswagen Model CC vehicles causes premature wear on the tires.  

The Volkswagen class action lawsuit claimed that the defendants knew about the alignment defect and provided no remedies to fix the issue besides charging the vehicle owner with a new tire replacement.

However, the VW class action lawsuit continued by stating, “because the Alignment Defect derives from a defect in the Class Vehicles’ suspensions, shocks, and struts, it cannot be corrected by simply replacing the Class Vehicles’ tires.”

The Volkswagen class action lawsuit alleged that the defendants knew about the defects in the alignment since 2010 and that the vehicles were not fit to offer the vehicle owners “safe and reliable transportation.” 

Further, the VW class action lawsuit claimed that Volkswagen kept hidden the defect from customers and did not disclose this vital information.

In September 2018, a judge dismissed numerous counts in the class action complaint, stating that there was insufficient pleadings related to limitation periods.

The class action settlement is seeking attorneys’ fees for $7.1 million and $2,500 in incentive awards for each of the named plaintiffs in the case.

As part of the settlement agreement, Volkswagen denies all of the charges brought against them. They maintain that their suspension systems are in working order and are not defective. In addition, they claim that their tires did not wear prematurely or excessively, that no warranties were breached, and that they did not violate any laws.

Top Class Actions will post updates to this class action settlement as they become available. For the latest updates, keep checking TopClassActions.com or sign up for our free newsletter. You can also receive notifications when this article is updated by using your free Top Class Actions account and clicking the “Follow Article” button at the top of the post.

The plaintiffs are represented by Peter Prieto, Matthew P. Weinshall and Alissa Del Riego of Podhurst Orseck PA and Francesco P. Trapani of Kreher & Trapani.

The VW Suspension Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Lila Wilson, et al. v. Volkswagen Group of America Inc. and Volkswagen AG, Case No. 1:17-cv-23033, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

UPDATE: December 2019, the VW suspension defect class action settlement is now open. Click here to file a claim.

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