A Honda destination fee class action lawsuit was filed for New Jersey residents who leased or purchased a Honda vehicle from a Honda dealership between October 2016 to the present.
The lawsuit says Honda violates the Automobile Information Disclosure Act, which requires manufacturers to disclose the true cost of transporting vehicles to dealerships.
The window sticker (Monroney label) typically calls the charge a destination fee, destination charge or destination and handling fee.
According to the four Honda customers who sued, the Honda window stickers violate the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act (CFA).
The New Jersey class action lawsuit alleges it is against the law for a Honda dealer to:
"Accept[ ], charg[e], or obtain[ ] from a consumer monies, or any other thing of value, in exchange for the performance of any pre-delivery service without first itemizing the actual pre-delivery service which is being performed and setting forth in writing on the sales document the price for each specific pre-delivery service."
Honda allegedly violates the law because the automaker does not accept, charge or obtain monies directly from a consumer for pre-delivery services. Instead, it's allegedly Honda dealerships that get the money.
The plaintiffs claim the Honda destination fee has nothing to do with whether the dealership is around the corner or far away from the Honda assembly plant.
Without any itemization of the pre-delivery service being performed, New Jersey Honda customers are allegedly left in the dark. Customers are also allegedly left out in the cold as to what destination fees cover and how those fees are determined.
The class action alleges customers believe the destination fee represents the true cost of shipping a vehicle from the assembly plant to a Honda dealership.
The Honda destination fee class action lawsuit was filed by these New Jersey plaintiffs:
- Shirley Dunn, Honda HR-V, paid $1,175
- David Harmon, Honda Civic, paid $930
- Ivan Kosin, Honda Civic, paid $1,100
- Matthew Kosin, Honda CR-V, paid $1,100
The Honda destination fee class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey: Harmon, et al., v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
The plaintiffs are represented by Kazerouni Law Group APC and the Law Offices of Donovan Bezer.
Abby Andrews