A lawsuit against Honda alleging an air conditioning defect in certain Civics has been referred to private mediation, with the mediation proceedings to be completed by March 22, 2024. The parties are to then file a joint report within seven days regarding the progress of settlement discussions. The court also extended the deadline for Honda to file further briefing in support of its motion to dismiss the lawsuit to April 4, 2022, and set a hearing on this motion for May 20, 2022.
The lawsuit alleges 2016 to 2018 Honda Civics contain an air conditioning system defect, including the lack of working climate control and defroster controls, which can cause health dangers that expose the driver/occupants to increased risk of injury or death. Specifically, the lawsuit contends the defect causes the system to fail to cool the vehicle, then causes the air conditioning compressor to rupture and leak. Such problems can allegedly cause hot temperatures to the extent that further driving becomes unsafe, or unsafe windshield fogging. The plaintiffs assert claims including breach of express and implied warranty, fraudulent concealment, and violations of California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law, and False Advertising Law.
The case is Wong v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., et al., case number 2:19-cv-10537, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
