Febreze Class Action Says Car Vent Clips Leak

A recent class action lawsuit claims that Febreze car vent clips are not “mess-free” as advertised.

Febreze car vent clips are designed to be clipped onto vehicle air vents to provide an air freshening effect. Once activated, the clips are reportedly able to last for 30 days.

These “easy” installation products are represented as “mess-free,” “long-lasting,” “safe to use,” and able to “work in virtually every vehicle.”

However, the Febreze class action lawsuit argues that these representations are false and misleading.

“Contrary to Defendant’s representations, P&G, with its long history of producing products under the Febreze brand, knew or should have known that the CAR Vent Clips contain one or more design and/or manufacturing defects which under normal use and conditions, cause the CAR Vent Clips to leak oil and/or other substances […], thereby damaging the interior surfaces and interior of the vehicles in which they are used,” the Febreze car vent clips class action lawsuit claims.

Plaintiffs Angela Davis, Deanna Lopez, and Ursula Riley claim that they were deceived by manufacturer Procter & Gamble, resulting in financial injury. “Had Plaintiffs and Class members known of the Defect at the time of their purchase, they would not have purchased the CAR Vent Clips,” the Febreze class action lawsuit argues.

Davis allegedly used a Febreze car vent clip in December 2019 in her brand new Nissan truck. Unfortunately, Davis says the Febreze clip leaked all over the dashboard of her vehicle – damaging the electronic system and various surfaces underneath.

Lopez reportedly purchased a Febreze car vent clip in February 2020 for use in her Prius. Allegedly, the vent clip began to leak oil and other substances which melted the vehicle’s dashboard. Afterwards, a visible chemical trail was left on the dashboard.

Riley allegedly had a similar experience in February 2019 after purchasing a Febreze car vent clip for her brand new vehicle. Like the other plaintiffs, Riley says her vehicle was damaged after the product leaked.

“Because Defendant has not made any attempt to solve the Defect, the value of the affected vehicles that were damaged due to the Defect have been markedly reduced,” the Febreze car vent clip class action lawsuit states.

The plaintiffs’ experiences are reportedly reflected in consumer concerns posted in online reviews and public discussion boards. Numerous consumers allegedly experienced damage to their vehicles after using the air fresheners.

Some consumers claim that the liquid was not only messy, but also ate away at the finish of the surfaces and caused permanent damage.

“A cursory internet search reveals multiple forums full of purchasers and/or users of the CAR Vent Clip who have the same complaint: CAR Vent Clips contain a Defect whereby oils and/or other substances leak from the CAR Vent Clips onto the interior surfaces and interior components of vehicles in which they are used, thereby causing damage to the vehicles,” the Febreze class action lawsuit states.

Despite these complaints, easily accessible on public, online forums, Procter & Gamble allegedly refused to fix the issue or include mention of the problem on the Febreze warning label.

The plaintiffs argue that, had a Febreze warning label been included with the products, they and other consumers would not have purchased the products or paid as much as they had.

“However, Defendant has systematically failed to inform consumers of the Defect. Defendant’s refusal to acknowledge and disclose the Defect has prolonged the problem and confused consumers who may be unaware that the damage caused to their vehicles are not unique to them,” the Febreze warning label class action lawsuit claims.

The plaintiffs seek to represent a Class of consumers who purchased Febreze car vent clips and suffered from related property damage in their vehicles. The plaintiffs also seek to represent a subclass of the same consumers who purchased the car vent clips in California.

The Febreze class action lawsuit seeks several forms of compensation including actual damages, compensatory damages, punitive damages, restitution, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

The plaintiffs also seek injunctive relief requiring Procter & Gamble to replace the Febreze car vent clips and/or provide a Febreze warning label informing consumers of the issue.

Have you experienced issues with Febreze car vent clips? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

Plaintiffs and the proposed Class are represented by Robert Ahdoot, Theodore W. Maya, and Christopher E. Stiner of Ahdoot & Wolfson PC.

The Febreze Car Vent Clips Class Action Lawsuit is Davis, et al. v. The Procter & Gamble Company, Case No. 1:20-cv-03220, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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