HONDA

Acura ZDX 2024: the EV that became a headache with only 600 km

For a customer at Criswell Acura in Maryland, the excitement over the brand-new 2024 Acura ZDX turned to frustration before the car had even reached 400 miles.

After only 400 miles (about 643 km) on the clock, the electric SUV stopped charging properly—a serious problem for any EV.

In light of this, the dealership followed Acura's instructions and ordered a new battery pack. The car, purchased for $69,207 and quickly passed on to a customer, ended up back in the shop—and never left.

The problem got worse: in addition to not charging fully, the car stopped charging completely, and even the doors stopped working.

The situation escalated to the point that the dealership filed a lawsuit against Honda (owner of the Acura brand), alleging breach of contract and illicit enrichment on the part of the automaker.

After the new battery was installed, even more headaches arose. A rear wheel sensor failed, and even after it was replaced, error codes continued to appear.

Honda's technical team advised replacing a wiring harness — also without success.

According to court documents, Honda allegedly failed to provide adequate technical support, leaving the vehicle stranded at the dealership's workshop for more than eight months.

Criswell Acura claims that the failure may have been caused by a manufacturing or design defect, or even damage prior to delivery of the car. As a result, the ZDX would be “completely unusable and irreparable.”

The dealership now wants Honda to cover the full loss, including reimbursement of the wholesale price, licensing, registration and repair costs, and loss of profit from the sale.

This case highlights a growing challenge faced by dealerships in the era of electric cars: dealing with complex technical failures that require efficient support from the manufacturer.

When this support does not come, even a luxury vehicle with less than 1,000 km driven can become “dead weight” in the yard — and a million-dollar liability.

The dealership installed the new battery pack, but that wasn’t the end of the problems. After the install, a rear wheel sensor started playing up, and after being replaced, an error code still appeared. Acura’s tech line told the dealer to install a new harness from its inventory. Despite following these instructions, the error code remained, Auto News reports.

Criswell Acura claims that subsequent “requests for assistance from Honda have been virtually ignored.” Nearly eight months later, the ZDX remains at the dealership, still undriveable. While the exact cause of the issues remains unknown, the dealer suspects the problems stem from the “result of bad design, manufacturer’s defect, installation, or pre-delivery damage.”

Under the terms of its dealer agreement, Honda is supposed to be responsible for any alleged manufacturing or design defects in Acura products. The lawsuit argues that this obligation has not been met. The vehicle is “completely undriveable and unable to be repaired,” it states.

Criswell Acura is seeking damages for breach of contract and unjust enrichment. The dealer has been forced to take a total loss on the SUV, claims it has lost profits from the sale to a customer, paid licensing and registration fees, and incurred considerable repair costs.

The case highlights the potential risks dealers face as EVs become more complex, especially when support from the manufacturer falls short.

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