Proposed Settlement Reached in Honda Brake Class Action

Washington, DC: A settlement agreement has been reached with Honda in the class action suit over alleged brake defects in 750,000 late model Accords and Acura TSXs. The specific issue with the brakes is that they are wearing out more than twice as quickly as they should. Reportedly, the rear brake pads wear out somewhere between 15,000-20,000 miles. The brakes should last for roughly 70,000 miles.

The suit was filed in September 2009, alleging unreasonable wear due to design defects that caused "excessive force to be applied to the vehicle's rear wheels," The New York Times reported. In addition to covering 2008–2009 Accords and 2009 Acura TSXs, the proposed settlement would also include a small number of 2010 models.

A hearing is scheduled for May to determine if the proposed settlement is fair to all parties. The terms of the settlement include: Reimbursement by Honda to owners who had their brake pads replaced and rotors resurfaced prior to settlement approval. The reimbursement amount would be one half of the cost or a maximum of $125, whichever is less. This would cover repairs in which the original brake pads were replaced with the same type of pads. Owners can file claims for work done at repair outlets outside a Honda dealership, and for multiple repairs.

Additionally, Honda will issue owners with a one-time payment of up to $150 to have the new, redesigned brake pads installed.