Toyota Hit with Another Melting Dashboard Class Action Lawsuit

On Monday, Toyota Motor Corp. was hit with a dashboard defect class action lawsuit that accuses the automaker of manufacturing vehicles with defective dashboards that are prone to melting when exposed to direct sunlight.

Plaintiff Melissa Graham says she purchased a 2009 Toyota Camry which had an allegedly defective dashboard. According to the Toyota class action lawsuit, Graham’s dashboard began to degrade, creating a glossy film that made it hard to see the road when the sun reflected off of it. She alleges she couldn’t obtain warranty coverage for repairs.

“Unbeknownst to consumers, Toyota designed, manufactured, distributed, marketed, and sold certain automobiles with defective dashboards that melt or degrade upon prolonged exposure to the sun,” the Toyota dashboard defect class action lawsuit says. “Because the nature of the defect is that the degradation occurs over time, it was a hidden defect from consumers at the time of purchase.”

According to the Toyota class action lawsuit, consumers typically become aware of the defect only after their warranty coverage has expired. Graham points to a technical service bulletin (TSB) issued by Lexus in December 2011 that indicated the 2006-2008 Lexus IS 250 and IS 350 could experience “sticky interior panels” that could appear to be shiny or degraded. The TSB indicated that new interior panels had been developed to address the situation.

Graham alleges Toyota used a similar dashboard design for 2006-2008 Lexus ES and 2007-2009 Toyota Camry vehicles. However, no TSB was issued for these vehicles and consumers were not notified about the alleged dashboard defect. “Despite Toyota’s superior knowledge of the defect, [Toyota] knowingly and deliberately concealed the nature of the defect and the fix for such defect from consumers,” Graham alleges in the Toyota dashboard defect class action lawsuit.

“Thus, Toyota obtained further profit from the defect by shifting responsibility for repair costs to consumers,” the Toyota class action lawsuit continues. “Those customers who did not pay out of pocket for the repairs nonetheless have a car with diminished value that should have been repaired under Toyota’s warranty obligations because the defect existed at the time of sale.”

Graham filed the Toyota dashboard defect class action lawsuit on behalf of herself and all residents of South Carolina who purchased the 2007-2009 Camry, 2006-2008 Lexus ES and 2006-2008 Lexus IS.

The Toyota dashboard defect class action lawsuit asserts claims of breach of express warranty and breach of implied warranty of merchantability. Graham is seeking injunctive relief, compensatory damages, attorneys’ fees and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.

In July, Toyota was hit with a similar melting dashboard class action lawsuit that alleged some Lexus vehicles had dashboards that could not handle the Florida heat. The Florida plaintiffs also complained that the defect did not become evident until after the warranty coverage had expired, even though it allegedly existed at the time of purchase.

Last month, two car owners filed a class action lawsuit against Mazda, alleging some of their hatchbacks and sedans were prone to deforming when exposed to direct sunlight, resulting in a highly reflective finish, cracks or brittleness.

The Toyota Dashboard Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Melissa Graham v. Toyota Motor Corp., et al., Case No. 2:14-cv-04357-DCN, in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Charleston Division.