Acura RDX/MDX Class Action Alleges Acceleration Defect

American Honda Motor Company has been slapped with an Acura class action lawsuit by customers who allege that their Acura RDX and MDX sport-utility vehicles have an acceleration defect that threatens the safety of vehicle occupants.

Plaintiff Sandra Ferrera claims that she leased an 2019 Acura MDX from a dealership in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She states that she paid a premium price for the car because she thought that it would be a high quality and safe vehicle.

That said, Ferrera alleges that she has twice experienced rapid deceleration while changing lanes on the highway. She claims that the first time it happened, the vehicle “seemed to shut down.” The second time it reportedly happened while she was driving straight on the highway and not changing lanes.

“Both times, Ferrera was frightened and worried that the vehicle was unsafe,” the Acura class action lawsuit states. The plaintiff’s husband allegedly also experienced deceleration, according to the complaint.

Acura Acceleration Defect

The plaintiff claims that, in response to the driver pressing on the accelerator pedal, certain Acura models decelerate and shut down without warning, and then just as suddenly regain power. The Acura class action lawsuit states that this dangerous situation can happen at high speeds when acceleration is needed for driver and passenger safety.

The plaintiff says all 2016 through 2020 Acura RDX and MDX models suffer from this defect.

“Under normal conditions, the Class Vehicle may not respond to normal driver input, leaving drivers and passengers in a vehicle travelling at unexpected speeds in scenarios that may lead to loss of control, collision, bodily harm, and potentially death,” the plaintiff alleges.

The Acura class action lawsuit argues that Acura knew of this safety defect via investigations of cars that were brought into dealerships, as well as complaints made by consumers to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In addition, there were reportedly numerous recalls affecting these vehicles, which included a 2015-2019 Acura Fuel Pump Control Failure Safety Recall affecting 2016-2018 MDX cars.

The plaintiff states that Acura tells its drivers to report defects to the NHTSA in its owners’ manuals, which shows that the company is aware that complaints are being reported to the NHTSA.

“A review of NHTSA’s public records reveals that Acura drivers have followed this instruction in mass, flooding the NHTSA with complaints regarding this dangerous safety defect,” the class action lawsuit alleges.

The plaintiff also claims that Acura is and has been aware of the acceleration defect in the vehicles but has concealed it from their customers. Ferrara says that Acura has not notified the owners of the defect and has not issued a recall to correct it on all of the affected cars. The plaintiff says Acura has not made any attempt to compensate the car owners for the decrease in the value of their vehicle.

The Acura Deceleration Class Action Lawsuit is Ferrera v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc., Case No. 1:19-cv-25153, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.