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A California woman says Honda has failed to properly address defects in the starter motors and batteries in some of its vehicles.
Plaintiff Carolina Martinez raises two issues with certain model years of Honda Accords and Honda Crosstours. She claims that separate defects in the vehicles’ batteries and starter motors cause both those components to fail prematurely, leaving the driver with a vehicle that won’t start.
According to this Honda class action lawsuit, the problem with the starter motor may be a lack of adequate clearance between the two gears where the starter motor connects to the engine. This lack of clearance can cause the starter motor to wear prematurely, preventing the vehicle from starting.
Martinez also says Honda has been equipping these vehicles with inadequate batteries. The factory-installed batteries have too little capacity and wear out too soon, until they no longer provide enough current to start the vehicle, she claims.
Both defects threaten Honda owners’ safety, Martinez claims. Owners are at risk for being stranded with a vehicle that won’t start. Battery failure can cause a vehicle to slow or stop without warning, putting vehicle occupants at risk for a crash, she alleges.
Martinez quotes several complaints filed by Honda owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reporting problems related to these allegedly defective starter motors and batteries.
Several owners report their affected Honda vehicles took several attempts to start or failed to start entirely. One reported the vehicle’s engine shut down in the middle of peak hour traffic. Several owners report that their Honda dealerships would not cover repair or replacement under the vehicle’s warranty, even though the problems manifested within a few years of purchase.
Honda has been aware of these problems since at least February 2016, Martinez claims, when the company issued a technical service bulletin to its dealerships. This bulletin says the problem is due to inadequate clearance between the starter motor gear and the torque converter gear, and it directs the dealerships to replace the starter motor and reposition the ring gear.
But although Honda alerted its dealerships to these defects, the company allegedly failed to disclose those problems to its customers. As a result, Martinez claims, purported Class Members had to spend hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars to repair or replace their starter motors and batteries.
If approved by the court, Martinez’s proposed nationwide plaintiff Class would include all persons in the U.S. outside of New Jersey who purchased or leased a Honda Accord or Honda Crosstour from model years 2013 through 2016. She also proposes three specific subclasses for purposes of bringing claims under California law.
She seeks a court order barring Honda from continuing to market the allegedly defective vehicles and requiring Honda to conduct a recall program that would replace the allegedly defective starter motors and batteries. She is also asking for compensatory, exemplary and statutory damages, restitution and disgorgement, and an award of court costs and attorneys’ fees.
Martinez is represented by attorneys Jordan L. Lurie, Tarek H. Zohdy, Cody R. Padgett and Karen R. Wallace of Capstone Law APC.
The Honda Defective Starter Motor and Battery Class Action Lawsuit is Carolina Martinez v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc., et al., Case No. 2:17-cv-04714, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
UPDATE: The Honda Defective Starter Motor and Battery Class Action Lawsuit was dismissed on March 15, 2018.
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169 thoughts onHonda Class Action Says Batteries, Starter Motors Fail Prematurely
I have replaced the damn starter twice eversince I bought my 2013 Honda Accord EX back in 201 as a CPO. First time was in late 2018, when it happened first time. Took it to Honda and they quoted me like $500 to have it replaced and they did not want to cover it under warranty. Ordered a rebuilt one from eBay for $68 and had it mounted for $70. Total was $140. The rebuilt one lasted until 2022. Oredered another rebuilt one from eBay and hope this thing will last another 4 years. In the mean time, I had the battery replaced twice at a local honda Dealership. The second time, paid $0 as the previous one was under warranty. Today, the car sarts but I have to crank it cuple of times before it starts. I uspect the battery to be the problem this time as the replacement from Honda looked cheap. There is defnitely a problem with 2013-2017 Honda accord starter and battery draining because of repeat failed starts. I love the car, it drives well and is overall reliable but the satrter issue is a joke, all 2013-2017 models should have been recalled but Honda America pays lobbiyists to prevent that,
I would like to be added to the list. I have a 2015 Crosstour V6 with 57,000 miles and have had issues with the starter grinding and is presently at Honda for repair. Honda knew of the issue in 2016 and issued a TSB16-002 which address the problem but there was no recall issued. I contacted Honda and was told that my vehicle was not on the recall list (well there is no recall that the dealer knows of on the starter). It looks like Honda stance is no recall and if it lasts 3 years or 36000 miles we are out of the woods. People have to realize that both the starter gear and the ring gear on the torque converter both wear. The cost to replace a starter is way less than the cost of the torque converter
I am having the similar issue. I am asked for $4500 for the entire work. I have already paid 800 for the starter change. Now I am thinking to sell the vehicle and get a Lexus/Toyota instead. I will never buy any Honda/Acura product.
2018 Accord 28,324 miles: Needed to replace battery @ 136 plus labor, unit failed to start.
I own a 2016 Honda Accord sport, and I’ve had the battery replaced multiple times. The first time was three months after purchasing my car (brand new)! Once, while driving on the freeway, all electrical features stopped working, headlights, brake system, windows, and blinkers, and I had to get my roadside assistance to tow it to Honda. When the service department checked it out, they told me everything worked fine. It’s not okay. I want to be included in the lawsuit.
Same Issue 2014 honda accord.
2022 still having ignition problems, sometimes it takes up to 15 times of cranking before it starts. What should I do? Thank you.
Today I replaced my starter for my 13 Honda Accord! They did everything that the Bulletin stated to do and it’s still grinding. So why are they not recalling these when everybody from 13 through 17 is still having the same issues??? This is totally unacceptable and they should be recalling and fixing these for free and reimbursing us for all the cost and maintenance to get it replaced!!