Toyota is moving forward settling a fuel pump class action lawsuit, as confirmed by related filings this month in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of New York. A joint motion by class plaintiffs and the defendants—Toyota Motor North America, Inc., Toyota Motor Corporation, and Denso International America, Inc.—asks the court to grant final approval of the proposed settlement and overrule any objections to it.
The lawsuit, filed in early 2020, cited a safety recall report pertaining to Toyota vehicles with defective low-pressure Denso fuel pumps. It raised claims including violation of New York business law and breach of warranty.
In September 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued an order preliminarily approving the settlement. The proposed order the parties attached to their November joint motion for final settlement approval establishes a nationwide settlement class that generally applies to vehicles equipped with certain Denso low-pressure fuel pumps. The settlement class also includes certain vehicles identified as part of a Toyota recall. The class reportedly consists of current and former owners and lessees of more than 4.9 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles.
The settlement relief measures include a 15-year customer support program, extended new parts warranty, a loaner/towing program, and out-of-pocket claims reimbursement—all depending on the type of vehicle under the settlement.
The case is Sharon Cheng et al. v. Toyota Motor Corporation, case number 1:20-cv-00629-WFK-JRC, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
You can read the proposed settlement terms below:
