DTO Law Prevails for American Honda on California Claims in Class Action Suit

DTO Law successfully defended American Honda Motor Co. in a significant class action lawsuit, securing a favorable outcome for the automaker in a California federal court. The case, Quackenbush et al. v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc. et al., centered on allegations of a defective valve timing control (VTC) actuator in certain Honda vehicle models.

Initially, Plaintiffs sought to represent a nationwide class of consumers whose claims totaled over $850 million. As the case progressed, however, the DTO team was able to substantially winnow the Plaintiffs’ claims. Prior to trial, three classes were certified, but the district court granted summary judgment against the largest class, comprised of Illinois purchasers who had not paid for any out-of-pocket repairs. Therefore, only the claims of the two, smaller classes of consumers who had paid for repairs survived to trial. After a weeklong trial, a California federal jury cleared Honda of claims brought by California vehicle owners while ordering the company to pay a mere $1.4 million to a class of Illinois vehicle owners. The verdict, delivered after nine hours of deliberation over two days, marks a partial victory for Honda and its legal team.

William A. Delgado, lead counsel for Honda, commented, “The jury’s decision to reject the California claims validates our position on the merits of this case. While we respectfully disagree with the verdict concerning the Illinois class, we remain confident in our legal arguments and are evaluating our options as we believe we have strong grounds for appeal.”

The lawsuit, initially filed in 2020, alleges certain Honda vehicles suffered from a safety defect. Specifically, Plaintiffs allege certain Accords, CR-Vs, and Crosstours have a defective R44 VTC Actuator which can malfunction, causing damage to engine components, including the timing chain and timing chain tensioner, and ultimately leading to catastrophic engine failure. At trial, the jury was instructed that the presence of a safety defect was a prerequisite of the California claims but not the Illinois claims. Therefore, by finding in favor of Honda on the California claims, the jury necessarily rejected Plaintiffs’ claims that the VTC actuator had a safety defect that could lead to engine failure.

The DTO team representing Honda included William A. Delgado, Lauren Hudecki, Jean Mooney, and Erik P. Mortensen.

Quackenbush et al. v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc. et al., Case No. 3:20-cv-05599, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.