Lawsuit Claims Rodents Attracted to Honda’s Soy-Based Wiring [UPDATE]
by Erin Shaak
Last Updated on April 7, 2022
Preston v. American Honda Motor Company, Inc.
Filed: January 4, 2018 ◆§ 2:18-cv-00038
American Honda Motor Company, Inc. is facing a proposed class action lawsuit that claims the company should be required to repair damage resulting from rodents or other animals chewing the soy-based insulation on its vehicles’ electrical wiring.
Case Updates
May 24, 2018 - Lawsuit Dismissed
This case was dismissed on May 24, 2018 after the judge presiding over the lawsuit said the plaintiffs failed to identify the specific components thought to be defective—leaving the defendant "without guidance to investigate the alleged defects" – and did not present “factual support for their bald assertion that soy or bio components attract rodents.”
American Honda Motor Company, Inc. is facing a proposed class action lawsuit that claims the company should be required to repair damage resulting from rodents or other animals chewing the soy-based insulation on its vehicles’ electrical wiring.
“Honda made the decision to switch to soy-based insulation to cover the subject vehicles’ electrical wiring,” the lawsuit explains. “While the material used is allegedly more environmentally friendly, when the vehicles are placed in the stream of commerce and then purchased by consumers, including [the plaintiff and proposed class members], the soy content of the coating attracts rodents and other animals, causing them to eat away at the wire coating. This causes the wires themselves to be exposed and ultimately results in vehicle malfunctions, and in some instances, a disabling of the vehicles altogether.”
The plaintiff claims he lost power steering in his 2015 Honda Accord due to problems with its electrical wiring, but Honda allegedly insisted the damage was not covered under the car’s warranty, refused to pay for the repairs, and replaced the damaged parts with more soy-based wiring.
This case was originally filed in Illinois federal court but was transferred to California federal court in January 2018.
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