The victims of Honda's faded paint have finally been rewarded

Quebec owners of Honda Civics and Acura CSX will be awarded more than $11 million.

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Over the course of several days, owners participating in a class action aimed at compensating owners of Honda cars whose paintwork was damaged have received between $300 and $2,675 to cover the vehicle's varnish and paint cracking. Part of a settlement in a class action with Honda Canada that ended in 2022.

“If you own or have owned a Honda Civic (2006-2013) or Acura CSX (2006-2011) vehicle in Quebec, you may be entitled if you have been affected and have noticed significant or insignificant premature deterioration of the paint. Compensation,” we read on the Collective Action website.

That means 14,500 Quebecers will receive a lump sum from Honda. Eligible vehicles are 2006 through 2013 Civics and 2006 through 2011 Acura CSXs.

Many owners had to be patient because it took almost two years to see the color of their money. “We filed the request in 2018. Class actions always take a long time. It is difficult to have available dates for the court, and procedures are long,” explains lawyer Eric Bertrand of CBL et Associés.

“We are not paid more because it lasts, we have no interest in prolonging it, it is the judicial machine that has to follow its course and we have to comply with it,” explains Eric Bertrand.

The claim period is from September 30, 2022 to March 31, 2023.

$6000 to $8000

A vehicle affected by this wear and tear can cost between $6,000 and $8,000 to restore. According to Francis Boulanger, director of Fix Auto Sherbrooke Newspaper When interviewed when the class action was announced, many owners would take the check but not make the repairs.

It is purely cosmetic as the problem does not reduce the reliability of the vehicle or increase the risk of rusting. And owners have already been living with an aesthetically flawed vehicle for years, he noted.

According to Eric Bertrand, Honda showed “minimal cooperation,” but lawyers had to return to court after the decision to discuss differences over the interpretation of the verdict.

Premature, appreciable or insignificant discoloration can take the form of discolouration or peeling in patches, also known as “delamination”.