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Court Preliminarily Approves 2018-2019 Honda Odyssey and 2019 Honda Pilot Infotainment System Defect Settlement

On June 4, 2021, Judge Cormac J. Carney of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted preliminary approval to a nationwide class action settlement negotiated by Goldenberg Schneider and its co-counsel in Conti v. America Honda Motor Co., Inc., C.D. Cal. 2:19-cv-02160-CJC(GJSx).  In the case, plaintiffs alleged that America Honda Motor Co., Inc. (“AHM”) knowingly sold its 2018-2019 Honda Odyssey and 2019 Honda Pilot and Passport vehicles with defective infotainment systems that behaved erratically, malfunctioned, and repeatedly froze, thereby distracting the driver and posing a safety hazard.    Since the lawsuit was filed, AHM has issued recalls, Service Bulletins, and software updates intended to address the infotainment systems’ problems.

The proposed Settlement calls for an independent engineering expert to validate the efficacy of the countermeasures that AHM has developed; facilitates the implementation of these countermeasures in the field; provides a two-year/24,000 mile warranty extension covering these issues; obligates AHM to work in good faith to continue to improve Infotainment System performance at least through the extended warranty period; creates a Dealership Assistance and Assessment Program (the “DAAP”) that will direct AHM’s authorized dealerships to undergo additional training and to repair or address infotainment system problems described by the vehicle owner even when the problem does not manifest during the service visit; creates the Infotainment System Online Resource to, among other things, inform Settlement Class Members about the countermeasures now available and the symptoms they are designed to address and permit Settlement Class Members to report directly to AHM any new Infotainment System symptoms or problems they may experience; provides a mechanism to compensate qualifying Settlement Class Members for the inconvenience and hassle they may have experienced because of relevant Infotainment System problems, including two free years of HondaLink Security Service or one year of SiriusXM Select; and provides a mechanism for qualifying Settlement Class Members to receive full reimbursement for eligible out-of-pocket expenses. Further, the Proposed Settlement provides a mechanism for AHM to separately pay reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs and Plaintiff service awards so that these payments will not dilute any of the benefits available to the Class.

The Court has scheduled a Final Approval Hearing for January 4, 2022.  Additional information about the settlement and instructions on how to submit a claim for benefits can be found at www.infotainmentsettlement.com.