Honda Class Suit Over Battery-Draining Bluetooth Proceeds

American Honda Motor Co. picked off a California plaintiff and defeated some claims in a classaction over a Bluetooth feature, but other claims survived a ruling of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Plaintiffs in eight states alleged that a Bluetooth pairing device in Acura vehicles, used to make hands-free mobile phone calls, failed to switch off properly. That led to frequent battery replacement and caused various electronic components to fail, they said.

The Acura’s hands-free system was an early solution to the problem of cell-phone use while driving, according to the court. Honda was allegedly aware of the electric drain as early as 2005, the court ...