Visor Falling Down? Civic Owners Now Have a Settlement

Posted on
Author
Scott McCracken
Tagged
#interior #lawsuit #settlement

The Civic's falling apart, defective sun visors have led to a settlement from Honda.

A federal court has approved a class action lawsuit settlement against Honda after the popular automaker failed to fix or warn owners about defective sun visors. The settlement affects over 2 million Honda Civic and Civic Hybrid owners and lessees. There have been nearly 150 complaints for this problem by 2006, 2007 and 2008 Civic owners on CarComplaints.com.

The Class Action Lawsuit

Cooper v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., alleges that sun visors in some Civics are defective. In essence they were defective, fall apart and eventually become useless. The lawsuit goes on to say that Honda should have corrected the defective visors, or at the very least they should have disclosed information about the defect at the time of the sale. Honda continues to deny any wrongdoing, but ultimately settled the lawsuit to avoid the cost of a trial.

About the Settlement

As part of the settlement, which became effective on September 16th, 2011, Honda has agreed to:

  • Extend the warranty on sun visors on Class Vehicles to 7 years / 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first
  • Reimburse Class Members for out-of-pocket expenses incurred prior to the settlement date for the repair or replacement of their sun visors

If you are a member of this class action lawsuit, you are eligible to get a cash reimbursement if:

  • You have paid out-of-pocket to repair or replace one or more sun visors in your vehicle prior to September 16th, 2011;
  • The cost of the repair or replacement was not previously reimbursed by insurance, warranty, or goodwill; and
  • You mail a claim form within two years from the date of the sun visor repair or replacement, or within 90 days of the September 16th, 2011, whichever period of time is longer.

So, Which Civics Are Affected?

Members of this class action settlement are all USA residents, including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Saipan, who are current of former owners / lessees of one of the following models:

YearsModelVIN Range
2006-2008CivicAll
2006-2008Civic HybridAll
2009Civic (2-Door)2HGFG1…9H500001 — 2HGFG1…9H523805
2009Civic (4-Door)19XFA1…9E000061 — 19XFA1…9E007094
2HGFA16…9H500001 — 2HGFA16…9H511509
1HGFA1… 9L000008 — 1HGFA1… 9L025282
JHMFA1…9S200024 — JHMFA1…9S200060
2009Civic SI (2-Door)2HGFG2…9H700001 — 2HGFG2…9H702924
2009Civic SI (4-Door)2HGFA5…9H700001 — 2HGFA5…9H704687
2009Civic GX1HGFA4…9L00000l — 1HGFA4…9H001442
2009Civic HybridJHMFA3…9S000002 — JHMFA3…9S009285

What To Do If Your Vehicle is Part of the Settlement

If you've been affected you can read about out your legal rights and options in this lawsuit, find deadline information and download claim forms at the official visor settlement page.

If you have additional questions you can contact Honda by calling 1-888-888-3082.

Generations Where This Problem Has Been Reported

This problem has popped up in the following Honda generations.

Most years within a generation share the same parts and manufacturing process. You can also expect them to share the same problems. So while it may not be a problem in every year yet, it's worth looking out for.

OK, Now What?

Maybe you've experienced this problem. Maybe you're concerned you will soon. Whatever the reason, here's a handful of things you can do to make sure it gets the attention it deserves.

  1. File Your Complaint

    CarComplaints.com is a free site dedicated to uncovering problem trends and informing owners about potential issues with their cars. Major class action law firms use this data when researching cases.

    Add a Complaint
  2. Notify CAS

    The Center for Auto Safety (CAS) is a pro-consumer organization that researches auto safety issues & often compels the US government to do the right thing through lobbying & lawsuits.

    Notify The CAS
  3. Report a Safety Concern

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the US agency with the authority to conduct vehicle defect investigations & force recalls. Their focus is on safety-related issues.

    Report to NHTSA