Honda and Acura lemon law in California: recalls, arbitration clauses and deadlines

If your Civic, Accord, CR-V, Pilot or Odyssey, or your Acura MDX, RDX, TLX or Integra, has been back to the dealer for the same problem again and again, the Honda lemon law California owners can use is the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. When American Honda Motor Co. and its dealers cannot fix a defect covered by the factory warranty after a reasonable number of attempts, Honda must repurchase or replace the vehicle.

Honda claims have one feature most brands do not: recent Honda and Acura warranty booklets contain an agreement to arbitrate, with a short window to opt out, and a California appeals court enforced one in 2026. This guide explains that clause, lists documented recalls with NHTSA campaign numbers, and covers your deadlines. It is general information as of October 2026, not legal advice, and it does not suggest that Honda or Acura vehicles are generally defective.

How the lemon law works for a Honda or Acura

Civil Code § 1793.2(d)(2) requires a manufacturer that cannot fix a new vehicle's warranty defect after a reasonable number of attempts to replace it or refund it, at the buyer's choice. Civil Code § 1793.22(b) presumes that standard is met if, within 18 months or 18,000 miles, a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury was repaired at least twice, the same defect was repaired four or more times, or the vehicle spent more than 30 days in the shop. The first two routes also require at least one direct notice to the manufacturer when the warranty materials clearly call for it.

The presumption is a shortcut, not a requirement. Plenty of claims succeed with fewer visits or after 18 months; see how many repair attempts make a lemon. A refund generally covers what you paid, including taxes, registration and finance charges, plus incidental costs, minus a mileage offset for use before the first repair visit for the defect. Our buyback calculator shows the formula. Under Civil Code § 1794, a successful buyer recovers attorney's fees and costs, and a court can add a civil penalty of up to two times actual damages for a willful violation.

What Honda and Acura warranties cover

The 2026 Honda warranty booklet lists a New Vehicle Limited Warranty of 3 years or 36,000 miles and a Powertrain Limited Warranty of 5 years or 60,000 miles. The 2026 Acura booklet lists 4 years or 50,000 miles and 6 years or 70,000 miles. Hybrid components carry separate emissions-related coverage listed in the booklets. Older model years can differ, so pull the booklet for yours.

The arbitration clause in Honda's warranty booklet

Honda's 2024 and 2026 warranty booklets, and the 2026 Acura booklet, include an "Agreement to Arbitrate." It sends disputes to a single arbitrator under the American Arbitration Association's consumer rules instead of a judge or jury, and it bars class actions. The booklet says: "If you do not opt out, then this agreement to arbitrate is binding." You may opt out within 30 days after delivery by mailing a letter with your name, VIN and intent to opt out to the Office of the General Counsel at 1919 Torrance Blvd. in Torrance (the booklets list the mail stop). Small claims court remains an option.

In April 2026 the Court of Appeal decided Kostandian v. American Honda Motor Co., a published case over a leased 2024 Acura Integra. The trial court had refused to send the case to arbitration. The appeals court reversed, relying on the warranty booklet's arbitration agreement, a signed delivery sheet acknowledging receipt of the warranty information, and the fact that the driver "never disputed he had an existing arbitration agreement." It directed the trial court to compel arbitration. The court did not decide whether the clause was unconscionable.

That is different from the 2025 California Supreme Court ruling that Ford could not enforce the arbitration clause in a dealer's sales contract it did not sign. Honda's clause is in its own warranty. What this means in practice:

• If you took delivery within the last 30 days, read the booklet now. Opting out is free and keeps court available.
• If the window has passed, a claim may still be worth bringing in arbitration, and the agreement's terms and how it was presented can be challenged in some cases.
• Keep your delivery paperwork. In Kostandian, the signed delivery sheet mattered.

Our guide to lemon law arbitration versus a lawsuit explains how the two forums differ.

Separate from that clause, Honda offers an informal program run by the National Center for Dispute Settlement. The 2026 booklet says Honda "does not require you to first file a claim with NCDS" before going to court, and that NCDS decisions do not bind you unless you accept them. A June 2025 Department of Consumer Affairs notice lists Honda/Acura with the state-certified California Dispute Settlement Program. Under Civil Code § 1793.22(c), using a certified program first can matter if you want to rely on the 18-month presumption.

Recalls you should know

A recall alone does not make a vehicle a lemon. But repeat visits for a recall symptom, or a recall that does not cure the problem, belong in your repair history. This is a selection from NHTSA's database, not a complete list. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

The V6 bearing issue did not end with the 2023 recall. In August 2025, NHTSA opened a new investigation covering about 1.4 million vehicles with the 3.5-liter V6, including 2016–2020 Pilot and MDX, 2018–2020 Odyssey and TLX and 2017–2019 Ridgeline, citing 414 complaints of bearing failures, according to TFL. An investigation is not a finding of a defect. If your engine has knocked, lost power or been replaced, see our guide to engine problems and the lemon law.

Reported results involving Honda

Most claims settle privately. These are reported results in cases handled by other lawyers, not LaCour results.

If a screen, speaker or connectivity problem is your issue, our guide to electrical and infotainment problems covers how those claims are built. For context, the CALPIRG Education Fund's Auto Lemon Index counted 2,026 California lemon lawsuits against American Honda (Honda and Acura) from 2018 through 2021, about one for every 476 new vehicles registered. Lawsuit counts reflect many factors and do not show that any vehicle is defective. Every case is different. Past results, including those listed here, do not predict the outcome of any other case.

Building your Honda or Acura repair record

• Get a repair order for every visit that states your complaint, the technician's findings and the work done. If the dealer could not reproduce the problem, ask that the order say so.
• Use the same words each time ("steering feels heavy turning left," "engine knocks under load"). Consistent descriptions show one recurring defect.
• Record intermittent problems. Video of a frozen screen, a warning message or a stall is often what convinces a technician, and later an arbitrator or jury.
• Write to Honda directly. Honda Automobile Customer Service is listed at 1-800-999-1009 and Acura Client Relations at 1-800-382-2238. Follow calls with a short letter or email, and keep the case number.
• Keep your delivery packet, including the warranty booklet and any signed delivery or inspection sheet, plus any opt-out letter and proof of mailing.
• Keep oil change receipts for engine claims, and log every day out of service with rental and towing costs.

Deadlines for Honda and Acura claims

CalMatters reported that most foreign-owned automakers opposed AB 1755, and Honda did not appear on the published lists of manufacturers reported to have opted in to the new procedures as of May 2025, according to one firm's summary of the state list. Participation can change, so check the Department of Consumer Affairs list.

If the new procedures do not apply, the deadline is generally four years under the Commercial Code's warranty statute of limitations, and tolling rules can apply depending on when the defect was or should have been discovered and how long repairs took. Those rules are fact-specific, so call promptly rather than counting on extra time. Our guide to the 2025 lemon law changes explains what applies to opted-in brands.

How LaCour handles Honda and Acura claims

LaCour Trial Lawyers handles California lemon law claims statewide, in English and Spanish, in court or in arbitration, with trial counsel leading each case. When a claim succeeds, the manufacturer pays your attorney's fees and costs. Send your repair orders and warranty paperwork for a free, confidential review.

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information about California and federal law and about public records as of its date. It is not legal advice, and reading it or contacting us does not create an attorney–client relationship. Allegations in lawsuits are claims, not findings. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Attorney advertising.