Class action lawsuit for Honda16-18 Civic AC?

jdm_mike

Senior Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Dec 3, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
833
Reaction score
443
Location
Acura Canada
Vehicle(s)
20 FK8 CTR & More
Country flag
is this for real? It really covers both Condenser and Compressor?

yes i still have extended warranty up to 100k miles.
Yes
Sponsored

 

Rwilmoth

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2019
Threads
3
Messages
10
Reaction score
2
Location
Va
Vehicle(s)
2017 Civic EX
Country flag
Yesterday I found the paperwork from where I bought my civic used in 2019 and it turns out that I also bought an extended repair contract for 150k miles or 60 months. I am 40k miles from it expiring right now so I kind of hope it turns out to be something a lot more expensive so that I can make use of that service contract and get the expensive crap replaced now and hope it lasts another 100k miles.

I wonder if I pay for repairs out of pocket and get reimbursed by this extended service contract and later on Honda adds more parts to the recall if they will also reimburse me for the repairs. Is that illegal? Lol
 

NechamaB

Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Threads
0
Messages
6
Reaction score
3
Location
Los Angeles
Vehicle(s)
Civic Sport Touring 4dr Hatchback 2017
Country flag
As per the canned recommendation of Berger Montague, I submitted the form to seek reimbursement from Honda through the following program: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10167735-0001.pdf

BTW I don't have a paid extended warranty. While Honda's warranty extension covers a defective condenser, it doesn't cover the compressor or evaporator YET. Berger Montague had written "You can submit this form even if your problem was with the compressor and even if Honda has previously denied coverage." My problem was with the evaporator. I guess defective evaporators are less common than defective compressors, which in turn are less common than defective condensers.

Honda emailed me promptly denying my request for reimbursement and stating that the evaporator is not covered under the warranty extension for the condenser.

However, this morning American Honda left me a voicemail as follows:

“We opened your case. We will be assigning it to a case manager who will review it for “good will assistance” because the AC evaporator is not covered under the AC condensor warranty extension. Once the case manager is assigned you’ll be contacted in 3-5 days give or take. From there the case will be reviewed and they’ll let you know about the outcome.”


I submitted the class action inquiry form for Berger Montague, and this was their reply:

Thank you for your inquiry into Berger Montague’s Honda Civic Defective AC case.

Berger Montague has a current class action complaint on file against Honda in connection with allegedly defective air conditioning systems in certain model year Honda Civics. Honda has extended the warranty for Civic air conditioning condensers (not compressors) under certain circumstances but has claimed in Court that its program covers all aspects of the Civic air conditioning system (including compressors and including condensers damaged by rocks or other “road debris.”)

Currently, we are not adding class representatives to our current case. However, the case may be amended in the future and would allow us to add additional named plaintiffs to serve as class representatives for their respective states. If you are interested in potentially serving as a named plaintiff and class representative in this case, please complete the following online survey: https://www.research.net/r/6QKMRT5

In the meantime, if you are the owner of a Honda Civic and you have experienced the AC system defect, you may qualify as a class member in this case. Currently, the nationwide class we have proposed is defined as follows:

All persons or entities in the United States who are current or former owners and/or lessees of a Class Vehicle (Model Years 2016-2020 Honda Civic [2- and 4-Door], Model Years 2017-2021 Honda Civic [5-Door, i.e., Hatchbacks], and Model Years 2017-2021 Civic Type R vehicles designed, manufactured, distributed, warranted and sold/leased by Honda, and equipped with uniformly defective AC Systems).

Whether such a class or a subset of such class will be certified is a determination to be made by the court during the litigation.

In the event of a potential class-wide recovery, eligible owners of the class vehicle may have the ability to seek reimbursement for damages resulting from the AC system defect. The bergermontague.com or classaction.org page through which you inquired will be updated with relevant information as the case develops. Class action lawsuits such as this can typically last 2-3 (or more) years.

Finally, we continue to urge all potential class members to seek reimbursement from Honda through the following program: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10167735-0001.pdf

You can submit this form even if your problem was with the compressor and even if Honda has previously denied coverage.

Thank you,


Berger Montague PC
 

scottso990

Senior Member
First Name
Scott
Joined
Jun 20, 2017
Threads
4
Messages
57
Reaction score
51
Location
Westchester, NY
Vehicle(s)
2020 Civic Type R, 2016 HRV, 2009 Civic EX
Country flag
Had a 2018 Si that had the compressor and condenser go bad (for the 2nd time). The 2nd time they wanted to charge me something like $1,500 to repair it and that is when I decided to trade in my Si and get my Type R.
 

Rwilmoth

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2019
Threads
3
Messages
10
Reaction score
2
Location
Va
Vehicle(s)
2017 Civic EX
Country flag
I took my '17 civic to the Honda dealer last Saturday because the AC was not blowing cold. I knew about the condenser warranty which is why I took it to Honda and not a shop. Well, my car is STILL at the Honda dealer because they charged the system ($500 if it's not the condenser causing the problem) and the compressor still wouldn't turn on. It took them 5 hours to charge the system and tell me this which annoyed me because i drove 45 minutes to go there and they assured me it would only be a couple of hours. If they didnt tell me that i planned to just drop the car off all day but instead i waited all day. Then they had to order a compressor which came in yesterday and today I did not hear anything. Them not calling me today makes me think something else is wrong and I'm beginning to think they might not know what they are doing. They did give me a loaner car (Honda passport) but they told me that would be $40/day which I refused to pay and they gave it to me anyway. Basically I'd be paying $280+ for the loaner plus God only knows how much they will be charging for the ac repair.

Luckily I bought a service contract with the car and they are covering the repair. It seems like they are just replacing parts and hoping it will fix the issue instead of actually diagnosing the problem. The whole situation has turned my away from Honda and I have reserved a new camry that's still in transit to a dealership. Not to sound ungrateful for the free loaner but I wonder why they'd give me an SUV to replace my civic after I told them I drive an hour each way to work every day. They were closing as they gave me the car and I'd waisted my entire Saturday already so I just took what they gave me.

What was kind of funny was that I saw at least 3 other civics come in after me for AC issues so they obviously are very much aware.
 


Levimax

Member
First Name
Dave
Joined
Aug 29, 2022
Threads
0
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Location
San Diego
Vehicle(s)
2019 Honda Civic Sport Touring
Country flag
My 2019 Honda Civic with 34K miles started blowing warm air and I came to this forum and got some useful information, thank you all. I took my car into the dealer this morning and they said “you need to replace both the condenser and the evaporator”. Interestingly the Lyft driver that gave me a ride home who had a Honda Civic said the dealer told him the same thing and he just had the condenser replaced for free and his AC has been working for him for a couple of years. I told the dealer to just replace the condenser so hopefully it will work long enough to either get a different car or for the results of the class action suit. In California where I live there is also a “Lemon Law” which may come into play as well.

Does anyone know if the AC issue has been addressed yet by Honda in the 2022 model year? Also is this AC issue just for Civics or is it for all Honda models? I have always like Hondas and would like to get another one but not if this AC issue has not been resolved.
 

civicmanic

Banned
Banned
Joined
May 21, 2016
Threads
7
Messages
799
Reaction score
597
Location
Canada
Vehicle(s)
2016 Civic Touring ; 2020 CR-V Sport(wife)
Country flag
My 2019 Honda Civic with 34K miles started blowing warm air and I came to this forum and got some useful information, thank you all. I took my car into the dealer this morning and they said “you need to replace both the condenser and the evaporator”. Interestingly the Lyft driver that gave me a ride home who had a Honda Civic said the dealer told him the same thing and he just had the condenser replaced for free and his AC has been working for him for a couple of years. I told the dealer to just replace the condenser so hopefully it will work long enough to either get a different car or for the results of the class action suit. In California where I live there is also a “Lemon Law” which may come into play as well.

Does anyone know if the AC issue has been addressed yet by Honda in the 2022 model year? Also is this AC issue just for Civics or is it for all Honda models? I have always like Hondas and would like to get another one but not if this AC issue has not been resolved.
Premature failure of a/c components is common with systems using the newer r1234yf. Toyota has the issue too, as does Chrysler and others.. If you want a new Honda, just buy the extended warranty and you're covered. It's actually very reasonably priced.
 

Levimax

Member
First Name
Dave
Joined
Aug 29, 2022
Threads
0
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Location
San Diego
Vehicle(s)
2019 Honda Civic Sport Touring
Country flag
Premature failure of a/c components is common with systems using the newer r1234yf. Toyota has the issue too, as does Chrysler and others.. If you want a new Honda, just buy the extended warranty and you're covered. It's actually very reasonably priced.
The dealer wouldn't charge the system unless I replaced the evaporator. I then asked for "good will" and Honda agreed to "split" the cost of the evaporator so $800 for condenser, evaporator, and recharge which is better than the alternative but still frustrating on a 3.1 year old car with 34 K miles.

I am curious why a company like Honda with all the latest technology for CAD modeling and computer systems for tracking field failures continues to have these problems many years after the switch to 1234yf? I can see it for the first year or so but not 5 years later? To me one of the main problem is the evaporator is so labor intensive to replace that it seems to me it should be engineered to a higher standard if looking at things on a cost benefit basis. What am I missing?
 

engineering

Senior Member
Joined
May 25, 2021
Threads
11
Messages
101
Reaction score
57
Location
Canada
Vehicle(s)
2018 Honda Civic Touring
Country flag
The dealer wouldn't charge the system unless I replaced the evaporator. I then asked for "good will" and Honda agreed to "split" the cost of the evaporator so $800 for condenser, evaporator, and recharge which is better than the alternative but still frustrating on a 3.1 year old car with 34 K miles.

I am curious why a company like Honda with all the latest technology for CAD modeling and computer systems for tracking field failures continues to have these problems many years after the switch to 1234yf? I can see it for the first year or so but not 5 years later? To me one of the main problem is the evaporator is so labor intensive to replace that it seems to me it should be engineered to a higher standard if looking at things on a cost benefit basis. What am I missing?

Honda doesn't manufacture the AC components, Like many other car manufacturers they use third party suppliers for AC parts. So technically this is an issue with the suppliers that made these defective components rather then Honda.
 

civicmanic

Banned
Banned
Joined
May 21, 2016
Threads
7
Messages
799
Reaction score
597
Location
Canada
Vehicle(s)
2016 Civic Touring ; 2020 CR-V Sport(wife)
Country flag
The dealer wouldn't charge the system unless I replaced the evaporator. I then asked for "good will" and Honda agreed to "split" the cost of the evaporator so $800 for condenser, evaporator, and recharge which is better than the alternative but still frustrating on a 3.1 year old car with 34 K miles.
I would've gotten them to replace just the condenser, and not charge the system. Then bring it somewhere else to get it charged.
 


Levimax

Member
First Name
Dave
Joined
Aug 29, 2022
Threads
0
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Location
San Diego
Vehicle(s)
2019 Honda Civic Sport Touring
Country flag
Honda doesn't manufacture the AC components, Like many other car manufacturers they use third party suppliers for AC parts. So technically this is an issue with the suppliers that made these defective components rather then Honda.
Using 3rd parties for AC components has been common for most if not all car companies for decades so nothing new. It is Honda's job to set specs and do QC on their suppliers... again nothing new. What is "new" is wide spread and expensive to repair failures of the AC systems with low mileage.
 

Levimax

Member
First Name
Dave
Joined
Aug 29, 2022
Threads
0
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Location
San Diego
Vehicle(s)
2019 Honda Civic Sport Touring
Country flag
I would've gotten them to replace just the condenser, and not charge the system. Then bring it somewhere else to get it charged.
I was going to do that but the quotes I got for charging the system ranged from $400 to $500. I also considered doing it my self but even then just the Freon is $120 and I don't have a proper vacuum pump and not sure about what they did with the oil. I am a calculated risk taker but $400 to charge a system with a known dodgy evaporator and no guarantee of success vs $800 for replacing the evaporator (which is a huge project and all the quotes I got from other shops were actually higher than the dealer) and charging the system and a 12 month warrantee seemed like the better bet.
 

engineering

Senior Member
Joined
May 25, 2021
Threads
11
Messages
101
Reaction score
57
Location
Canada
Vehicle(s)
2018 Honda Civic Touring
Country flag
Using 3rd parties for AC components has been common for most if not all car companies for decades so nothing new. It is Honda's job to set specs and do QC on their suppliers... again nothing new. What is "new" is wide spread and expensive to repair failures of the AC systems with low mileage.
Yeah I think this is happening for multiple manufacturers as well, It's the switch to the new Refrigerant which is causing some issues . There was a Honda tech on here that talked about how switching from one refrigerant to the other always causes some issues at the start but gets sorted out after a few cycles. Unfortunately it's impacting multiple manufacturers, My Neighbors Ford also had failures with the AC components and it's using the same refrigerant as our civics (R-1234yf). With the new parts, they seem to have different part numbers. The condenser that they replaced my failed one with was made by Mahle (A02) but the original one was made by Keihin (A01).
 
OP
OP

fuhongl

Senior Member
First Name
David
Joined
May 17, 2019
Threads
25
Messages
83
Reaction score
14
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
Honda Civic 2016
Country flag
I wouldn't believe for one second the crap of the evaporator dealer told you. Dealer told me to replace compressor for $2k, bull shit, I recharged freon and it has been working properly for 4+ months for me. Some guys in the forum diy charging and mentioned it last for two years...

Charging by yourself is quite cheap, a bottle of YF1234 about $40 and the hose and gauge is only $20-30. No brainer it would be my first option before going to dealer to listen to their nonsense.
 

civicmanic

Banned
Banned
Joined
May 21, 2016
Threads
7
Messages
799
Reaction score
597
Location
Canada
Vehicle(s)
2016 Civic Touring ; 2020 CR-V Sport(wife)
Country flag
I was going to do that but the quotes I got for charging the system ranged from $400 to $500. I also considered doing it my self but even then just the Freon is $120 and I don't have a proper vacuum pump and not sure about what they did with the oil. I am a calculated risk taker but $400 to charge a system with a known dodgy evaporator and no guarantee of success vs $800 for replacing the evaporator (which is a huge project and all the quotes I got from other shops were actually higher than the dealer) and charging the system and a 12 month warrantee seemed like the better bet.
How did they determine the evaporator was leaking? Did they add dye to the system and get you to go back on n a couple of weeks?

My dealer told me my condenser and compressor were leaking just based on a visual. They wanted $2000. I charged the system 3 months ago and so far its held the charge. How can such a small a/c leak be determined based on a visual? It can't! Poor diagnostic. Dealers just throw the parts bin at us and are too lazy to determine the exact cause.
Sponsored

 


 


Top