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Last week, American Honda Motor Co. Inc. was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging rats and other rodents are attracted to the soy-based insulation used in the electrical wiring in some Honda vehicles.
Plaintiffs Daniel Dobbs, Greg Delaney and Sean Rickard filed the class action lawsuit on behalf of themselves and all owners and lessees of 2012-2015 model year Honda vehicles in the United States.
They allege that 2012-2015 Honda vehicles contain soy-based wire casings in their electrical systems. These soy-based casings were implemented by Honda because they are purportedly more environmentally-friendly and less expensive than traditional electrical insulation, according to the Honda class action lawsuit.
“Unbeknownst to Plaintiffs, however, a real and contentious unintended and undesired consequence of this soy-based insulation material is that it attracts rodents and other animals that are drawn by the soy content of the insulation, and proceed to chew through the insulation and electrical wires that the insulation coats,” the Honda class action lawsuit alleges.
Once the rodents chew through the insulation and the electrical wires, owners and lessees of the affected vehicles have to deal with a malfunctioning vehicle that may be fully or partially inoperative.
Dobbs alleges in the Honda class action lawsuit that the soy-coated wiring in his 212 Honda Accord had been chewed through twice within the span of a few months, but Honda refused to cover the repairs under their warranty even though the damage occurred during the warranty period.
“Worse yet, the wiring replacement that Honda performed at Mr. Dobbs’ expense consisted of replacing the soy-based insulated wiring with more of the same,” the Honda class action lawsuit alleges. Within a few months, the new wiring had also been chewed through and Dobbs once again had to pay for repairs, according to the soy-coated wiring class action lawsuit.
Delaney reported a similar issue with his 2014 Honda CrossTour. After he noticed the wiring in his vehicle was shredded, he took it to a dealership where he was informed the repair would not be covered under the warranty. According to the Honda class action lawsuit, Delaney paid around $765 to replace the wiring in his vehicle.
“During the course of the repair, the dealership reportedly discovered a rabbit within the car’s engine compartment that apparently had chewed through the wiring, and was still chewing the wiring while the car was at the dealership,” the Honda class action lawsuit alleges. “Indeed, the dealership took a photograph of the live rabbit chewing on the wiring on Mr. Delaney’s car and provided it to Mr. Delaney.”
According to the Honda class action lawsuit, Rickard had his 2013 Honda Accord EX-L in to the dealership when he noticed the power steering wasn’t functioning. Again, Honda reportedly refused to cover the repairs even though his vehicle was still covered by Honda’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty. Although his insurance paid for some of the cost to repair the damage, Rickard reportedly still had to pay the $500 deductible portion of his insurance claim.
However, just two days after picking his vehicle up from the dealership, Rickard reportedly observed a rabbit chewing on the wiring underneath his car. “Upon visually inspecting the car, Mr. Rickard noticed that the wiring harness had been chewed through again at approximately the same spot as before merely a few days prior,” the Honda wiring class action lawsuit says.
The plaintiffs allege that Honda was aware that the soy-based insulation attracted rodents that chew through the wiring. According to the soy wire coating class action lawsuit, Honda dealerships had started selling mouse-repellant electrical tape to cover the wiring, which the plaintiffs allege is Honda’s way of generating another source of income from consumers affected by the soy-coated wiring defect.
Dobbs, Delaney and Rickard are represented by Roy Arie Katriel.
The Honda Soy-Coated Wiring Class Action Lawsuit is Daniel Dobbs, et al. v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc., Case No. 2:16-cv-00456, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
UPDATE: The Honda Soy-Coated Wiring Class Action Lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed on June 2, 2016.
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37 thoughts onClass Action: Rodents Chew Honda’s Soy-Coated Wires
I have a 2019 the rodents keeps eating the all inside my car it’s costing another on monies hay can we do about this
-my 2021 Honda Pilot would not start had it taken to the dealership on 02/17-2013. They informed me that a rodent had chewed through my transmission harness and the whole thing needs to be replaced. Not sure what’s going to cost yet, but I know that it’s thousands of dollars. I bought my car brand new in December 2021 barely over a year ago, even bought the extended warranty the most expensive one. Neither Honda which is still in effect nor my extended warranty will cover any of it. It’s in the shop right now. I’m waiting for the cost of the repairs.- 02/17/2023.
I took it to the dealership on 2-18-2023 not 2013. That was a misprint.
So it reads this: UPDATE: The Honda Soy-Coated Wiring Class Action Lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed on June 2, 2016. My question, who got paid under the table cause by the looms of this were still suffering with our Hondas. If I could afford new payments id buy a ford truck. Here in Florida its not rodents its raccoons who pull the hood insulation and the hood cord. Paid 3times over 1000s. To purchase a new one. The rich get rich and we suffer for it. And Honda makes it sound as if its my fault! Really?
I have a 2015 Honda CRV that a rodent got into the A/C system and died. I took it to the Honda Dealer and $1200.00 later the dead rodent was removed and my car was smelling better. Now less than one year later i noticed droppings from another rodent that has been inside my car. Disappointed in Honda probably will trade it in for a Subaru.
I have HONDA PILOT 2016 had an incident by chewed wired from some rat or rabbit. Paid 875$ to Honda dealer for fixed. Got car insurance coverage 500$ deductible coverage so I paid 500$ on my side. My request to every Honda owners ,should take Rodent protective tape cost 50$ Cover those wires and stay away with this incident.
We’re currently dealing with this with our 2015 Odyssey and it started right after we bought it. Our warranty won’t cover it and now we have to pay. What happened with this lawsuit?
I have paid over $1200.00 in damage on my 2015 CRV for rodent damage. Some items paid for twice. Would be interested in class action suit.
My 2014 Honda CRV engine wiring harness has been eaten/chewed by some rodents/other animal…This is the third time that the writings have been eaten and made the vehicle inoperable. Is there a new class action lawsuit ?
June 2017
Does anyone knows about a new wiring class action suit?
I had my wiring coil set replaced last summer when my air conditioning was not working on my 2009 Honda fit. 9 months later when I went to turn on the A/C…nothing. Took it into the dealer and they said
” tech found wiring to coil set is damaged. Appears the wiring is damaged from rodents chewing them. Recommends replacing coil set.”
I am angry at Honda’s lack of responsibility for their soy based defective wiring. I did not buy an edible car. What choice do I have now….go with no A/C or spend another $700 to replace what was replaced last summer and eaten through.
Two month ago Rodent did considerable damage under the hood of my 2015 Honda CRV. total cost was around $4500. Today again I found rodent nesting under the hood with few wiring eaten.and plastic around battery and behind headlight eaten.