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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
2015 Accord Sport starter failure. Costing 900+ to replace. This is piss poor.
Shame on me for not researching better that Honda has been sweeping this issue under the carpet. Lesson learned.
2015 Honda Accord won’t start. I replaced the battery 3 months ago. I was told it would cost $140 to find out what is wrong. Based on all of the no start postings, it has to be the starter. This is my 3rd accord and will be my last. The car quality has changed.
My 2015 Honda Fit has had the battery replaced, the starter button is not reliable & the engine clunks when starting they say is VTC that needs replaced. Honda dealer charging me $2000 today to fix these issues. I think another lawsuit is in order to force Honda to fix their issues!
I have 2013 Accord EX-L with 87,000 miles. This random starting issues began for me several months ago. It has become much worse last few weeks. Sometimes requiring 6-8 attempts before it will start. Car is now in local repair shop for $750 OEM replacement of the starter. We’ll see how that goes. This is my 5th generation of Honda Accord and I’ve loved them all. Driving each one to over 230,000 miles without ANY issues. But this one takes the cake the way Honda refuses to own it. Most likely will dump this vehicle as soon as I get it out of shop. Probably will not consider another Honda. Everyone has problems, its how you deal with them that deter mines your worth as a manufactiurer.
I agree with you a 100%
Just replaced my 2014 Honda Accord Sport (98500km) starter…this is an ongoing problem Honda!
In 2014 I purchased a brand new 2014 Honda Civic SI with only four miles on my new Honda Civic. When I left the car lot. Only less than one month later I noticed the car had some issues…one day while unloading groceries from the car less than 10 mins the car had died and wouldn’t start. When I took my car in for the 1st service I formed Honda service Department. It was ignored next I had a axle issue that also wouldn’t so away.. after be told that nothing was wrong with the axle and starting issues. I left then 3months later Axel and start issue was back. Less than 6 months now I get a new battery and new axle under my Honda warranty. 3 months later axle problem back Honda gave me another new axle. 3 months later starting issue back. Honda sevice said nothing was wrong.. I told them they was wrong that I’m the driving everyday. and it almost never starts. Keep in mind the honda si transmission is manual which can be push started. After almost 4 three years three batteries. I continue to make all kinds of reports to Honda service department about kinds of starting issues I was having no one seemed to care enough to get to the bottom of the issue. six years later the car still have this same problem with start up 2 months ago told me that I should pay for a diagnostic service the first hour would be 300 first hr than second hr 300 which I paid a total of $600 for Diagnostics only to be told that I need a new battery. How could this be $600 to tell me I need a new battery this can’t be true something is seriously wrong with this car 2 months later car stalling to start lights are flickering issue not fixed. I have reached out to Honda Management in the service department explain this issue and less numerous of messages and no one has returned my call yet. I only have 68,000 miles on my car you mean to tell me that every 20 thousand miles I need a new battery. I feel as though that the $600 that I paid only a couple of months ago was a very big rip-off to the fact of something that I’ve been complaining about since almost the beginning of my purchase
2013 Honda Accord EL-X – Starter would just spin, no contact to engage motor at times. Replaced starter, two weeks later the new starter started to grind. Found Honda tech bulletin 16-002. This involves rotating the flex plate. Performed per instructions, 2 months later same thing happen again!
Ordering another new starter today. Let’s see what happens now? Car only had 84,000 miles when issue first started.
Happened to me also. 2014 Accord E-XL less than 100k miles. Had to Ebay another starter from a wrecked accord and replace the starter myself. Total cash output was around $100. Honda has got to do better, I’ve been a loyal Honda Accord owner for decades, family has gone through 7 so far.
Same issue. I finally had to replace the starter on my ‘15 accord coupe. Unreal that this case was dismissed.
I had to replace the starter on my 2014 Accord EX-L a month ago at 126,500 miles. I’ve never had to replace a Honda starter. Why was this suit dismissed? This problem is widespread and the worst part of this, is that Honda is charging $408 for a remanufactured starter with a core charge. They are making a tremendous profit on the backs of loyal customers for a part that should not be failing for ANY 2013-2017 Accord owner until 200,000+ miles or 10 years of car life. Unacceptable nonsense!
I Have Accord 2015 it has a starter problem, I hear a click sound then does not start but sometimes it does start, I replaced it with a brand new battery but now use, it behaves the same.