A class action lawsuit has been filed against Honda Motor Co. alleging the “environmentally friendly” soy casings it has begun installing in its newer vehicles attract creatures such as rabbits and rats, which are chewing through the wires. The suit claims the creatures chew their way through the electrical systems of Honda Accords and other models that use the new product. One of the named plaintiffs, who owns a dealership, claims a customer has sent him a photo of a live rabbit still inside his engine chewing the cables.
The suit alleges that Honda has refused to cover the cost of the damage, claiming it wasn’t caused by a defect, and instead sold the car owners a mouse-deterring tape to try to protect the new wiring in the cars. However, because the wiring’s casing itself is what’s attracting the animals in the first place, the casing is defective, the suit asserts. “The very notion that Honda dealers are stocking and selling ‘mouse deterrent tape’ … is an acknowledgement of the defective nature of this soy-based insulated wiring material for its intended use,” the plaintiffs claim. It alleges that numerous owners of class vehicles across the country have the same complaint and Honda refuses to cover the repair under warranty.
A named plaintiff, who lives in Wyoming, states that he has a 2012 Honda Accord that was still under warranty. On one occasion, he had parked the car for about five hours and when he returned, the car started but wouldn’t move. After having the vehicle towed to the nearest Honda dealership, he learned that the wires were chewed through by an animal and he had to replace the wires at his expense. A few months later, the wires were chewed through again, and the dealership again charged the owner to replace them. But the dealership also wrapped the soy wires in mouse-deterrent tape designed to keep rodents and other critters away from the food-based casing, the complaint states.
When the owner complained to Honda about having to pay for the repairs, the company said the problem wasn’t caused by a defect and refused to cover his costs under the car’s warranty, according to the suit.
According to the suit, the car owners shouldn’t have had to pay for their repairs out of pocket, in part because Honda knew enough about the soy-casing problem that it had begun ordering mouse-deterrent tape. Instead of correcting the defective wires, the company is forcing its customers to pay for not only the repairs, but also the tape, the plaintiffs allege.
If you have questions regarding your Honda, you should contact the experienced lemon law attorneys at Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Consumer Law Center® at www.yourlemonlawrights.com or call 1-800-US-LEMON (800-875-3666), toll-free. Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Consumer Law Center® has been effectively assisting Honda customers in Lemon Law claims involving various defects in all makes and models. Our lemon law attorneys will take time to talk to you about your rights and will let you know if they can help.
Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Consumer Law Center® was founded in 1995 and has helped over 45,000 consumers nationwide enforce their rights against manufacturers of defective consumer products.