The class action claims Mazda knew about the problem for years but chose to keep consumers in the dark
https://www.carscoops.com/author/bradcarscoops-com/
by Brad Anderson
September 29, 2024 at 16:00
- A Mazda6 owner claims to have suffered serious burns due to malfunctioning heated seats.
- Plaintiffs assert Mazda knows about the issue and say the value of their cars has decreased.
- The lawsuit accuses Mazda of fraudulent conduct for marketing heated seats despite known defects.
We’re big fans of heated seats here at Carscoops. Few things are nicer than going for a drive on a cold day with your back and bottom feeling toasty warm. However, a class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. against Mazda claims that the heated seats on 2018 Mazda6 models can get dangerously hot, causing burns to occupants.
The lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, by plaintiff Kristine D. on September 3, 2024, alleges that she “suffered serious burns and scarring as a result of her use of the defective seat warmer in her Mazda vehicle.” Other plaintiffs also claim they were burned by the allegedly malfunctioning heated seats.
Read: New Mazda6 Reborn As The Electric RWD EZ-6, But Only In China
The class action contends that Mazda has known about the issue for several years but has failed to inform consumers about the potential danger. It further alleges that Mazda has exposed “thousands of California citizens, including plaintiffs, to safety risks while also knowingly selling consumers defective vehicles that pose serious safety risks and are worth less than represented.”
Mazda is also accused of engaging in “fraudulent conduct” by promoting, advertising, and marketing the feature, despite being aware of a “safety-related defect” that could harm users. The plaintiff claims she would not have purchased the Mazda6, or would have paid less, had she known about the defective seats.
The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial, and Mazda is on the hook for strict liability (failure to warn), strict liability (defective product), breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, negligent product liability, negligent misrepresentation, common law fraud, and violation of the Unfair Competition Law for California Business and Professions Code.
Those behind the lawsuit also want to be compensated. They’re asking for compensatory damages, including lost earnings, loss of earning capacity in the future, medical expenses, and other economic damages for “serious injury, pain and suffering, disability, physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, and aggravation of a disease or physical defect,” as well as damages for the “loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life sustained in the past and to be sustained in the future.”
