Shook Secures Denial of Class Action for Honda

The Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the denial of a class certification against Shook client American Honda Motor Co. regarding alleged faulty regulator assemblies on certain Honda vehicles. 

In Grodzitsky v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc., buyers claimed Honda failed to disclose defective window regulator assemblies that allegedly left windows inoperable and often stuck open on Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured from 2003-2008. Brought before the U.S. District Court of Central California, the court excluded the plaintiffs’ expert witness testimony, on which class certification relied, and denied the plaintiffs’ third attempt at certifying a class. 

Buyers appealed to the Ninth Circuit, arguing that the District Court was wrong to exclude all of the expert witness’ testimony, but the Ninth Circuit, in a strongly worded opinion, rebuffed the plaintiffs’ argument and affirmed the District Court’s denial of certification. Shook Partners Michael Mallow and Rachel Straus represented Honda.

Law360 reported on the denial of the class certification in “9th Circ. Denies Class Cert. in Honda Power Window Suit,” April 29, 2020. 

The case is Grodzitsky v. American Honda Motor Co. Inc., No. 18-55417 (9th Cir., April 29, 2020).