A Parasitic Draw in the HandsFreeLink System Drains the Battery
- Acura's HandsFreeLink system can drain the battery as the car sits overnight.
- In 2008 a TSB acknowledged the system has a parasitic draw.
- Acura was sued in 2016 saying there were no good repair options.
Acura mechanics received their first Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) about HandsFreeLink battery drain problems in 2005. They were told the system can get “locked up” in an “on” position and that the “system staying on may cause a dead or low battery while the vehicle’s ignition switch is off.” Sounds about right.
Unfortunately the only suggested solution was to replace any units that owners complained about with the same, defective product.
Internal Knowledge of the System's 250mA Draw ∞
A 2008 TSB went a bit further into explaining the problem by saying that the HandsFreeLink control unit has an internal problem, which creates a parasitic current draw of 250mA.
That's a big enough drain to empty the battery overnight and make it impossible to start the vehicle without a jump-start.
The Parasitic Drain Lawsuit ∞
Before the release of the second TSB, a lawsuit was filed in California by owners tired of needing multiple jump starts, new batteries, and alternator replacements.
The lawsuit says owners are left with no good options. Either disconnect the system that they paid for, or replace it with another defective $1,000 unit and hope nothing bad happens. Spoiler alert … it will.
The case is moving forward after a round of dismissals ∞
Honda was not impressed with the lawsuit's claims. Unfortunately neither was the judge who dismissed any claims about warranty and consumer protection laws because the plaintiffs waited too long.
The judge did rule that the plaintiffs provided enough evidence to move forward on claims that the automaker concealed possible defects in the Acura cars.
Lawsuits Regarding This Problem
Lawsuits about this problem have already been filed in court. Many times these are class-action suits that look to cover a group of owners in a particular area. Click on the lawsuit for more information and to see if you're eligible to receive any potential settlements.
Partially dismissed Janice Pfeiffer, et al v. American Honda Motor Company Inc.
Partially dismissed
An Acura HandsFreeLink class-action lawsuit will proceed after a federal judge allowed a few claims to continue while dismissing the majority of the class-action lawsuit.
Case Filed
Lawsuit filed against Honda, Acura's parent company, says the company should have warned consumers about the alleged defects that cause batteries to drain at alarming rates.
Partially dismissed Aberin, et al., v. American Honda Motor Company, Inc.
Partially dismissed
An Acura HandsFreeLink class-action lawsuit will proceed after a federal judge allowed a few claims to continue while dismissing the majority of the class-action lawsuit.
Case Filed
The class-action alleges Honda wanted to beat competitors to the punch by creating a hands-free feature that allowed customers to use Bluetooth wireless technology, but the automaker allegedly failed to create a system that switched off when not in use.