Defective Honda Air Conditioning Triggers Class Action Lawsuit

Honda Motor Company, Ltd. is one of the world’s best-selling automobile manufacturers most likely because of their above-average reliability ranking. While the company is notably reliable when compared to its more problematic competitors—hardly any vehicle comes completely problem-free. For Honda’s notorious Civic models, one of the most common issues aside from the fuel pump defects stems from their defective air conditioning (AC) components. 

Why Is My Honda Civic AC Not Cooling?

The Honda Civic is undoubtedly one of the manufacturer’s most popular models—it’s even been featured in prevalent movies such as The Fast and the Furious. While it may be renowned model, consumers across the nation have experienced repeated issues with their Air Conditioning Systems which tend to stop working as a consequence of refrigerant leaks. To be fair, Honda utilizes this refrigerant to be more environmentally friendly—but unfortunately, this comes at the expense of consumers. 

Certain components within the AC System have already been proven as susceptible to cracking which then leads to the leaks of refrigerant in the condensers and compressors which not only affects these components, but can affect the discharge, suction lines, and evaporators as well. These leaks cause the system to lose pressure, making them incapable of properly cooling the vehicle interior, or in some cases, making them fail completely. 

Many Honda Civic owners have brought their vehicles in to the dealership for repairs on the AC system due to this defect, but sadly, the origin of these leaks can be hard to locate. To make matters worse, consumers have mentioned that the dealership often claims that this problem is caused by road debris, making the repair ineligible to be made under warranty—resulting in exorbitant costs for consumers on a known defective part. Furthermore, the repairs are useless, as Honda continues to use the same refrigerant—ignoring the repercussions of their environmentally friendly decision and how it affects their loyal customers. 

FAQs

Are Honda Civics reliable?

Well, that depends on your definition of reliability. Many automotive writers claim that Honda Civics are icons within the industry, but there are a few things you should know about them. Aside from issues with the Air Conditioning, certain model years of the Honda Civic Hatchback and Honda Civic Type R vehicles are known to have issues with their fuel pumps. These issues seen in the 2018 and 2019 models can lead to stalling and non-start issues, which doesn’t seem too reliable. 

Are Honda Civic Parts Expensive?

Honda Civic parts are not particularly expensive when compared to the prices for other car parts on the market, including the AC. However, it’s important to consider the fact that the replacement AC parts are proven to be equally as defective, but either way, these parts on backorder—so you couldn’t even have this repaired right now if you wanted to. 

Honda Civic AC-Related Technical Service Bulletins

To add fuel to the fire, Honda has never released a single recall on this defect—though they’ve known about it for quite some time according to their Technical Service Bulletins (TSB). One TSB serves as a 10-year warranty extension for the AC systems in 2016-2018 Honda Civics, and it was only released after a class action lawsuit was filed—which was subsequently dismissed. 

Unfortunately, Honda failed to include all of the vehicles affected by this defect, so they later released another Technical Service Bulletin to include more vehicles—though they never addressed the issue properly. It was clear that Honda had long known about the defective AC, so why didn’t they release a recall to resolve the issue? Well, probably because any replacement or repair components would eventually malfunction as well.

The Honda Civic AC Class Action Lawsuit

Consumers wasted time and money on costly diagnostic fees, repairs, and replacements that were never guaranteed to withstand the effects of this R-1234yf refrigerant. After the first lawsuit was dismissed, two plaintiffs filed separate complaints which have now been consolidated into one, including 9 additional plaintiffs.

These consumers decided that if Honda was not going to fix this problem, or let alone even address it, they would make their voices heard by taking legal action. The same judge that dismissed the previous lawsuit is now hearing the consolidated one—except this time it’s extremely unlikely to be dismissed. Owners want to be compensated for the time and money they’ve been forced to spend due to the negligence of the manufacturer. 

Affected Honda Models

Several Honda Civic models and years are plagued by this AC Defect. If your vehicle is listed below and you’ve experienced continuous issues with your AC—it might just be a lemon. 

• 2016-2020 Honda Civic (2 & 4 Doors)
• 2017-2021 Honda Civic (Hatchback)
• 2017-2021 Honda Civic Type R

While Class Action Lawsuits generally benefit those involved, it’s better to maximize your recovery by individually filing a lemon law claim, instead of splitting a settlement with thousands across the nation. Make sure to take your vehicle in to the dealership and save your repair records! 

Does my Honda Civic Qualify as a Lemon?

Well, there’s only one way to find out—give the Lemon Law Experts a call today. If you have dealt with any issues regarding your Honda Air Conditioning System, you may be eligible for a refund or replacement of your vehicle. You should work alongside California’s most prominent Lemon Law Firm. Our expert team has a proven track record when it comes to maximizing client recoveries. Our representation comes at no out of pocket costs for you, and our we ensure thorough and fast case evaluations. Claim your free case evaluation today!