A LUXURY electric SUV that cost over $69,000 turned into a complete dud for a dealership, and now Honda is facing a lawsuit.
What was supposed to be a brand-new electric SUV ended up allegedly breaking down almost immediately, leaving the dealership with a car they couldn’t sell or fix.
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Criswell Acura dealership filed the lawsuit against Honda after claiming the vehicle was “completely undrivable and unable to be repaired” – otherwise known as a lemon car.
The store, based in Annapolis, Maryland, says it was forced to eat the full cost of the lemon, missing out on any profit and racking up thousands in repair attempts, taxes, and other fees.
Criswell bought the all-electric 2024 Acura ZDX from Honda on May 15, 2024, for $69,207.40 wholesale.
By the end of that month, the dealership sold the SUV to a retail customer.
But it was quickly returned after the buyer said the EV wouldn’t charge properly.
The issues began after just 419 miles on the road, according to the lawsuit.
Acura’s tech team advised the dealership to order a full battery replacement.
Two weeks went by, but nothing arrived.
Later, Honda asked for the vehicle’s serial number, which showed the battery had never been ordered in the first place.
By that time, the car wouldn’t charge at all. The doors couldn’t even be opened.
A new battery finally arrived a few weeks later, but once it was installed, a fresh issue popped up – a code for a faulty rear wheel sensor.
Criswell then ordered a new rear drive motor in mid-September.
More delays followed, with tech representatives eventually suggesting they use a “known good harness” from another vehicle to test if it would solve the issue.
But it did not work.
What makes a car a lemon?
Each law has different parameters on what defines a lemon, but generally, a car is lemon when it’s in the shop for longer than it’s on the road.
Progressive Auto Insurance describes a lemon as a car with “a significant defect or malfunction that makes it unsafe to drive,” though exact parameters vary by state. All 50 states have lemon laws covering new vehicles, but only seven have lemon laws to protect used car buyers.
Federally, however, consumers are protected under U.S. Code Chapter 50 covering consumer product warranties. In layman’s terms, the law dictates that consumers be compensated by the manufacturer when “multiple attempts to repair a vehicle under warranty fail.”
What to do if you think you bought a lemon:
- Research your state’s lemon laws and their exact parameters.
- Contact the dealership, especially if it’s still under factory warranty.
- If the dealership refuses to repair the issue, contact the Automotive Consumer Action Program or the National Automobile Dealers Association.
- Send a certified letter to the manufacturer with an explanation of the issue, with documentation and proof that you’ve contacted a dealership.
- Depending on the outcome, you can report the dealership to the DMV for selling a car that needs immediate repairs.
- Consider small claims court.
- Consult an attorney specializing in lemon law through the National Association of Consumer Advocates.
Source: Progressive Auto Insurance
The last real update Criswell got from Honda was in December 2024, when they were told someone would call them back.
That call never came, according to the lawsuit.
MONETARY COMPENSATION
The vehicle has been sitting unrepairable since June, and the ZDX model is no longer in production, the complaint says.
The dealership claims it is out $69,207.40 for the wholesale cost alone, plus $4,104 in Maryland tax, tag, and title fees.
They also paid $25.50 for a duplicate title and at least $3,264 in floorplan interest, which continues to increase monthly.
Criswell is suing Honda for over $75,000 in damages, plus legal fees and other costs.
The complaint alleges Honda breached its contract and failed to help with rising repair expenses.
It also claims the situation has damaged the dealership’s reputation as a reliable seller in Maryland and nearby areas.
The lawsuit points to Honda’s own policy, which says it’s responsible for manufacturing defects and should support dealerships in achieving customer satisfaction.
Criswell says Honda did neither.
Honda didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by The U.S. Sun.
LEMON LAWS EXPLAINED
Lemon laws are supposed to protect consumers from stuck-with-a-lemon cars, but they also apply when dealerships, like Criswell Acura, find themselves in a similar bind.
According Maryland Attorney General office, the lemon law covers new and leased vehicles that are under 24 months old and have fewer than 18,000 miles on the clock.
If a car has major problems that can’t be fixed after a few attempts, or if it’s been in the shop for 30 days or more, the law steps in.
For Criswell Acura, this might just be a classic lemon case.
The dealership says its 2024 Acura ZDX is completely unrepairable after multiple attempts, leaving the car undrivable for months.
Under Maryland’s lemon law, if Honda failed to fix it, Criswell could be entitled to a replacement vehicle or a full refund.
The lemon law’s protection is clear that if a car’s issues impair its use or value significantly, the dealer has the right to seek compensation.
