Sonia Hernandez Velasquez v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., a California corporation

Case Background

On December 16, 2022, Sonia Hernandez Velasquez, a Los Angeles resident, sued American Honda, a California corporation with its registered office in Los Angeles. The product liability case arose from American Honda’s failure to uphold its warranty obligations for a vehicle it sold. The lawsuit was filed in the California Superior Court, Los Angeles County. Judges Barbara A. Meiers, Thomas D. Long, and Barbara M. Scheper presided over this case. [Case number: 22STCV39180]

Cause

Under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, Velasquez qualified as a buyer of consumer goods, and American Honda met the legal definition of a manufacturer or distributor. According to the complaint, American Honda knowingly concealed that the vehicle’s transmission was defective at the time of sale. Its authorized agents repeatedly assured Velasquez that each repair attempt had fixed the issue, leading her to reasonably rely on those statements. Despite ongoing problems, American Honda continued misrepresenting its ability to repair the vehicle. It had a duty to disclose the truth but instead actively hid material facts to mislead Velasquez. Between May 2017 and August 2022, Velasquez brought the vehicle to authorized repair facilities at least seven times. Each time, American Honda retu