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A Honda Idle Stop lawsuit settlement has been preliminarily approved for certain Acura and Honda customers nationwide.
Three Idle Stop class action lawsuits (Bolooki v. Honda, Cooper v. Honda, and Nock v. Honda) were consolidated into one action titled, “In re Honda Idle Stop Litigation.”
Honda markets the Idle Stop feature as a way to save fuel. If a vehicle is stationary for more than two seconds such as at a stop light, the engine will shut off while other systems continue working, such as the air conditioning.
Releasing the brake pedal is supposed to quickly restart the engine and a driver is on their way.
But according to the class action, the vehicles don’t always restart and drivers are left going nowhere. However, the Idle Stop feature can “be easily disabled.”
The Honda Idle Stop lawsuit settlement includes these vehicles, but only if equipped with NP0 engines, nine-speed automatic transmissions and the Idle Stop features.
- 2015–2020 Acura TLX
- 2016–2020 Acura MDX
- 2016–2021 Honda Pilot
- 2019–2021 Honda Passport
- 2020–2021 Honda Ridgeline
According to an updated settlement which has been preliminarily approved by the judge:
“The Settlement Class shall consist of all individuals or legal entities who own or owned, purchase(d) or lease(d) Class Vehicles in any of the fifty States and the District of Columbia.”
However, the Idle Stop settlement has the following exclusions.
“Excluded from the Class are (1) AHM, its related entities, parent companies, subsidiaries and affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, and employees; (2) insurers or financier of the Class Vehicles; (3) all persons and/or entities claiming to besubrogated to the rights of Class Members; (4) issuers or providers of extended vehicle warranties or extended service contracts; (5) individuals and/or entities who validly and timely opt-out of the Settlement; (6) individuals or businesses that have purchased Class Vehicles previously deemed a total loss (i.e. salvage) (subject to verification through Carfax or other means); (7) current and former owners of a Class Vehicle who previously have released all claims against AHM with respect to the issues raised in the Litigation;and (8) any judge to whom this matter is assigned, and his or her immediate family (spouse, domestic partner, or children).”
Honda Idle Stop Lawsuit Settlement
The class action lawsuit was certified for only 11 states, but Honda agreed to settle the case for customers nationwide.
Honda Idle Stop Warranty Extension
Honda offered 10-year warranty extensions in 2022 and 2023 for free valve adjustments and free A53 starter replacements, but Acura and Honda dealerships were required to verify the Idle Stop problem. A vehicle wouldn’t be repaired for free unless a technician replicated the problem.
A major benefit of the Idle Stop settlement is now, just taking a vehicle with a complaint about the Idle Stop feature will get the vehicle repaired with free valve adjustments and free “A53” starter motors.
The Idle Stop warranty extension is for 10 years from the original lease or purchase date of the Acura or Honda vehicle. The vehicles included in the lawsuit settlement go back to 2015 and the warranty extensions will end soon for those vehicles.
Honda has agreed to further extend the Idle Stop warranties for 2015 and 2016 models.
Honda will extend the warranty extension claim period for 24 months beginning from the date of preliminary approval of the Idle Stop settlement for model year 2015 vehicles. And Honda will extend the warranty extension claim period for 18 months beginning from the date of preliminary approval of the Idle Stop settlement for model year 2016 vehicles.
NOTE: Any vehicle that has already received a starter motor assembly replacement with the “A53” starter motor assembly for free under warranty is not included in the Idle Stop settlement warranty extension.
Honda Idle Stop Repair Reimbursement
An Acura or Honda customer may be eligible for reimbursement if they paid their own money to replace the starter, starter relay or a valve adjustment if Honda has not already reimbursed those expenses. A customer will need to complete and timely submit claim forms and all required documentation.
The Honda settlement says these customers who filed the Idle Stop class action will receive $7,500 each:
Kevin Bishop, Janice Stewart, Brandon Derry, Jeff Kaminski, Devron Elliot, Marilyn Thomas, Daniel Rock, Antoinette Lanus, Sirous Pourjafar, Melissa Howell, David Jew, Sharon Marie Johnson, Liz Simpson, Hamid Balooki, Malik Barrett, Sean Crary, Sadia Durrani, Abby O’Neill, Latasha Ransome, and Ali Qureshi.
And the settlement says the lawyers representing Honda customers will receive an estimated $11.7 million.
The Honda Idle Stop lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: In re Honda Idle Stop Litigation, (Hamid Bolooki v. Honda Motor Company Limited, et al), case number 2:22-cv-04252-MCS-SK.
The plaintiffs are represented by DiCello Levitt LLP, Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., and Andrew T. Trailor, P.A.