Partner
By: Nicole Halavi
A recent class-action lawsuit filed against Honda alleges the automaker has been manufacturing defective infotainment systems in several Honda CR-V models. While Honda claims the infotainment system serves as a technological advancement to make driving safer, affected drivers say otherwise. Plaintiffs in the suit allege the malfunctioning screens are nothing but a distraction as they “dim and go dark, freeze, or shine at full brightness, causing driver distraction and rendering the information center inoperable.” This defect poses a significant safety risk as the issue occurs repeatedly and unexpectedly.
Although Honda has been made aware of this problem, the automaker continues to conceal the defect from consumers and Honda dealerships repeatedly fail to properly repair the screens when owners bring in their vehicles. The plaintiffs argue Honda breached the implied warranty of merchantability as these defects compromise the ability to safely operate the vehicle.
Several months after the class action was filed, Honda issues a recall for nearly 608,000 vehicles because of instrument panel software problems. The recall affected the 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019-2020 Passport and 2019-2021 Pilot vehicles with defective instrument panel control modules. The software issues cause the instrument panels to fail to display information needed to safely operate the vehicles.
Honda first discovered the issue in May 2019 due to an increase in warranty claims because of instrument panel failures. Ultimately, investigations concluded that the instrument panel software was causing these failures. Because the instrument panels are linked to the vehicle’s central networks, this defect can also affect proper functioning of the engine oil pressure, speedometer, and gear selector position indicators. When there is increased data traffic on the central networks because of errors in software programming, the instrument panel control modules become overwhelmed and fail to display critical information to the driver.
If you are experiencing any of the above-mentioned issues with your Honda, feel free to call CCA today. Our experienced team of attorneys is knowledgeable about the various defects affecting your vehicle. Call now for a free case evaluation (833) LEMON-FIRM.