Honda says recall should end infotainment litigation

January 9, 2025 — Honda infotainment system problems have sparked a class-action lawsuit in Ohio, but Honda says the case should be dismissed because Honda dealers fixed the issues during the recall.

Jennifer and Sean Fausto filed the class action lawsuit after purchasing a new 2020 Honda Pilot Touring in August 2020.

But the plaintiffs argue that the infotainment system never worked properly to begin with.

The Honda class action lawsuit includes:

“Purchase or lease of any 2020-2022 Honda Pilot (except LX), 2020 Honda Passport (except Sport), 2021-2022 Honda Passport and 2020-2022 Honda Odyssey (except LX) vehicles in the following areas All persons or entities in Ohio.”

Honda has issued technical service bulletins, extended warranties and recalled more than 1 million vehicles due to problems such as the backup camera.

Honda’s recall is due to a faulty Media Orientation System Transmission (MOST) communications coaxial cable. The terminals are deformed and cause incorrect connections between the infotainment system audio display unit and the vehicle cable connector.

The rearview camera image may be lost, and “the audio system may make popping or crackling sounds, and/or the display audio screen may flicker.”

In addition to free repairs, Honda is offering reimbursement to any customer who pays for related repairs out of pocket.

According to the lawsuit, Fausto vehicles were serviced in February 2024 under Honda’s recall, but a few months later they filed an infotainment system class action lawsuit seeking more than $5 million because they believed the Honda Pilot’s value had diminished.

Motion to Dismiss Honda Infotainment System Lawsuit

Honda tells judge that infotainment system class action lawsuit is copycat Ploetz v. Hondaa class-action lawsuit pending since 2022, filed by the same attorneys.

“Like the Plotts, the Faustos claim their 2020 Honda Pilot has an ‘electrical defect’ that produces ‘intermittent, unpredictable, loud popping and/or crackling sounds from the speakers and a malfunctioning infotainment display .'”—— Honda

But Honda pointed to what happened during Plotz’s motion for class action certification, when a judge denied class certification because no plaintiffs “are from California or have claims under California law.”

Still, Honda said the Forstall class action lawsuit is moot because Honda’s recalls are overseen by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Honda believes that in addition to fixing the backup camera problem, the recall repairs also address the audio and display issues that Forstall sued.

“They do not claim they spent a dime to repair the pilot’s alleged defect. The plaintiffs allege that pre-recall warranty repairs were unsuccessful, but crucially, they make no such allegation for free ‘recall repairs.’ Plaintiffs have received free, effective repair, they are therefore not entitled to seek injunctive relief or monetary damages and their claims are moot.” — Honda

The Honda Infotainment System Class Action Lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: Jennifer Fausto and Sean Fausto v. American Honda Motor Co., Ltd..

The plaintiff is represented by Lemberg Law, LLC.