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Honda has been ignoring complaints about a defective engine starter, according to the plaintiff in a recent class action lawsuit.
Plaintiff Joel Merkin says the Honda engine starter in certain recent model years of Honda Accords and Crosstours is defective in a way that causes the starter and battery to fail. Once that happens, the vehicle’s engine will not start, potentially leaving drivers and passengers stranded, Merkin claims.
The engine starter is an electric motor that gets the car’s engine spinning when the driver turns the ignition key, until the engine starts and keeps running on its own.
Merkin claims the defendants have known about this Honda engine starter defect for at least four years. Owners have been filing complaints with Honda about the alleged defect, and the company itself has published internal technical bulletins addressing the problem, he claims.
According to this Honda engine starter class action lawsuit, Honda has been refusing owner requests to remedy the engine starter defect under the affected vehicles’ warranties. Merkin says Honda has dismissed warranty claims for this defect by attributing the problems to wear, owner misuse, improper maintenance or lack of maintenance.
When Honda has bothered to fix the defect, Merkin alleges, the company has only replaced the Honda engine starter with a similarly defective starter.
Despite Honda’s alleged knowledge of the defect and the asserted coverage under the manufacturer’s warranty, Merkin says the company has not “recalled the Class Vehicles to repair the Starter Defect, offered its customers a suitable repair or replacement free of charge, or offered to reimburse its customers who have incurred out of pocket expenses to repair the defect.”
Merkin himself is the owner of a pre-owned 2013 Honda Accord. He says that in May 2016, his Accord would fail to start about once a week. The problem got progressively worse, he says, until the vehicle would fail to start five to six times per day.
A local Honda dealer told Merkin the car was no longer under warranty. Merkin had the problem fixed at an out-of- pocket cost of about $200, he claims.
Merkin is proposing to represent a statewide plaintiff Class consisting of all persons in New Jersey who are current or former owners of one of the listed vehicles equipped with the allegedly defective Honda engine starter. He lists these vehicles as the Honda Accord from model years 2013 to 2015 and the Honda Crosstour from model years 2013 to 2015.
He is asking the court to certify his proposed Class and appoint him as Class representative. He seeks a court order requiring Honda to repair, recall or replace the Honda engine starter in affected vehicles. He also seeks an award of damages with pre- and post-judgment interest and reimbursement of court costs and attorneys’ fees.
Merkin’s attorneys are Matthew D. Schelkopf, Joseph G. Sauder and Joseph B. Kenney of McCune Wright Arevalo LLP.
The Honda Engine Starter Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Joel Merkin v. Honda North America Inc., et al., Case No. 3:17-cv-03625, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
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450 thoughts onHonda Class Action Says Engine Starter Defect Merits Warranty Coverage
My 2014 Honda Crosstour does that occasionally in the morning
Starters in 2007 Honda Ridgeline are known to be installed so that road corrosion hits the starter housing causing pre-mature failure. My Honda Dealership would not even use an OE starter as a replacmeent saying it would just fail again.
Include me. Thank you.
This has happened to me several times as well. I own a 2013 Honda Civic Coupe. It has happened on at least 5 occasions and has left me stranded. I have had to call AAA for a jump. Sometimes it starts right away and other times it won’t start for about 30 minutes. This is a common problem with the 2013 Hondas. Please include me!
It has happened to me several times as well. I own a 2013 Honda Civic coupe and my vehicle has left me stranded at least on five occasions. I have to call AAA to give me a jump and sometimes it starts right away and other times it won’t start for about 15 minutes. This is a common problem for the Hondas made in 2013.
My 2015 Honda Fit has started to have this problem. I have not logged the frequency so cannot give you the details and will start doing so at your recommendation. I would say it is several times a week. It did not do this when I first started driving it. I sure would like a recall.
I have not contacted Honda yet. Do you recommended me doing that right away or only after I have documented the problem?
You may contact me by email or phone. It is easier to catch me by email.
Please include me
I own a 2013 Honda Accord Coupe and occasionally have difficulty starting the engine. I’d like to join the class action suit.
Thank you.
Aileen Nadohl, LCSW
I have trouble started on my 1800 Goldmine it has been once before but it still has problems starter
my 2014 Honda CR-V sounds as tho the engine is going to fly apart when cold starting…Honda has refused to fix the problem stating they could not hear the noise the starter is making…If they would try to start the car when it is cold in the morning instead of waiting till afternoon they would hear the noise…I even had to rent a car for 2 days while the dealership had mine trying to hear the noise..However the mechanic told me he never had time first thing in the morning to try to start my car…WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET HONDA TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS NOISE…warrantee expire but i purchased an extended policy on my car…strange the noise was not present when I first purchased my Honda, only appeared after the first 5000 miles..