Lexus RX Defective Headlight Class Action Lawsuit

A federal class action lawsuit claims Toyota knowingly sold 2004-2009 Lexus RX vehicles containing a defective headlight assembly that allowed condensation and moisture to penetrate, subjecting motorists to dangerous short circuits.

“The Class Vehicles’ headlamp assemblies and related parts are defective, including defects contained in the headlamp housing, because they fail to prevent water and moisture from entering and damaging the interior components of the headlamp assemblies,” the class action lawsuit states. “As a result of the headlight defect, water and moisture enter the headlamp assembly, damaging the ECU [electric control unit] and other related headlamp assembly parts. When this occurs, the Class Vehicles’ headlamps can become dangerously dim and/or completely fail before their expected useful life has run.”

The Lexus RX headlight class action lawsuit goes on to describe how dangerous the alleged defect is, saying that drivers can experience sudden loss of illumination from one or both headlamps at unpredictable intervals, exposing them, and those who share the road with them, to significant and unreasonable danger.

“In addition to those safety hazards, the costs of the headlight defect to consumers can be exorbitant because consumers will be required to pay hundreds, and in many instances, thousands of dollars to both diagnose and repair the headlight defect,” the class action lawsuit says.

The lawsuit alleges Toyota has known about the alleged Lexus headlight defect since at least 2010, when it issued a secret technical service informational bulletin to only dealers, but refuses to recall the vehicles to fix the defects, and has not offered its customers a suitable repair or replacement free of charge, or reimbursement of the costs they incurred in diagnosing and repairing the headlight defect.

The Lexus RX headlight defect class action lawsuit is brought on behalf of all purchasers and lessees of any 2004-2009 model year Toyota Lexus RX vehicle who reside in the U.S. It is seeking damages, restitution and other relief for alleged unfair and deceptive business practices, violations of California’s Unfair Business Practices law, fraud by omission, breach of warranty, and more.

A copy of the Toyota Lexus RX Defective Headlight Class Action Lawsuit can be read here.

The case is Mui Ho v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., Case No. 12-cv-2672, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, San Francisco.