Honda Class Action: Faulty Transmission in Odysseys, Pilots, Ridgelines

Case: A class action lawsuit against Honda accuses the automaker of selling vehicles with a defective 9-speed automatic transmission. The lawsuit claims the faulty transmission causes shifting problems and sudden loss of power in various Honda models.

Consumers Affected: Owners of 2016-2022 Honda Pilots, 2018-2019 Honda Odysseys, 2019-present Honda Passports, and 2020-present Honda Ridgelines equipped with the allegedly defective 9-speed automatic transmission.

Court: The class action lawsuit is ongoing in the U.S. District Court Northern District of California.

Honda Motors can’t escape a class action lawsuit filed by drivers nationwide who say the automaker sold them vehicles with a defective 9-speed automatic transmission.

The consolidated class action complaint dates back to 2020, when plaintiffs first filed the lawsuit against American Honda Motor Co. Inc. alleging violations of state consumer laws and federal warranty laws. 

They drivers say they bought certain Odysseys, Pilots and Ridgelines from Honda that were equipped with a 9-speed automatic transmission that had faulty transmission and powertrain control modules. 

Honda moved to dismiss the complaint. But on July 15, California federal judge Judge Beth Lawson Freeman filed an order allowing many of the claims to move forward. She allowed some of the warranty claims to be dismissed, as they were time-barred, she said.

Lawsuit Claims Honda's Transmission Causes Sudden Loss of Power 

The plaintiffs allege that, due to faulty transmission and powertrain control modules, their cars shift gears at the wrong times, damaging the vehicles.

They say the defect exists in:

• 2016–2022 Honda Pilots
• 2018–2019 Honda Odysseys
• 2019–present Honda Passports
• 2020–present Honda Ridgelines

The lawsuit states that, in 2014, Honda began equipping some of its vehicles with a 9-speed automatic transmission called the ZF 9HP Automatic Transmission. 

They allege that the transmission suffers from a design and workmanship defect. “There is improper design and/or calibration of the software in control of the transmission, including the transmission Control Module and the Powertrain Control Module,” they allege.

They say Honda failed to properly calibrate the software in the vehicles, resulting in mistimed gear shifting, rough, delayed, or sudden shifting or failure to shift; grinding or other loud noises during shifting; harsh engagement of gears; sudden or harsh accelerations or decelerations; and sudden loss of power.  

Vehicles Still Exhibits Defect After Fix

California residents Kevin and Anita Moore say they bought a new 2018 Honda Odyssey from a dealership in Walnut Creek, California.

On Nov. 17, 2021, with approximately 71,000 miles on the odometer, the Moores’ Odyssey began to buck and lag when accelerating from a stop or when going over 40 mph, they say.

The Moores say they brought their vehicle to Walnut Creek Honda, where technicians replaced the transmission, but that the vehicle still “exhibits the defect.”

The plaintiffs are suing for violations of state consumer laws, breach of warranty and fraudulent concealment. 

Meanwhile, Honda is facing a number of other class action lawsuits that allege serious defects in its vehicles' components, including defective power steering and brake system sticking. 

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Moore et al., v. American Honda Motor Company  Co. Inc. 
• Case Number: 5:23-cv-05011-BLF
• Court: U.S. District Court Northern District of California

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

• Tarek H. Zohdy, Cody R. Padgett, and Laura E. Goolsby (Capstone Law APC)
• Russell D. Paul, Amey J. Park, and Abigail J. Gertner (Berger Montague PC)