Porsche owners' class action approved

Porsche owners' class action approved - article

Class certification is considered a huge accomplishment and a very big deal in the legal community. Apparently a South Florida lawyer / Porsche enthusiast got tired of a "design flaw" that made his car's LID headlights very susceptible to being stolen.
I'd make a wry comment about South Florida lawyers and their Porsches, but I am one myself.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/2012 09:44AM by danz76. (view changes)

Not a lot of info available in that link; what happens next?

Also, doing a search on Porsche class action suits brought up a link on a suit involving the Pepper for years 2003-08(?). Plastic (radiator?) cooling tubes that cracked and leaked; anyone familiar with that problem or suit?

The class certification stage is when the court determines whether there is a cause of action and identifiable class, whether common issues are raised, whether a class action is preferable for the resolution of common issues and whether there is a suitable representative plaintiff. If the Court determines a class action is appropriate it will "certify" the action. This particluar case apparently took 6 years to get to certification, and they now face an appeal. Porsche has been fighting this group tooth and nail.
After certification, most class action cases settle. However, absent a settlement, the case goes forward in the traditional manner of a regular lawsuit, through fact and expert discovery, dispositive motions, pre-trial proceedings and ultimately a trial. This process usually takes several more years.

I've never heard a report of stolen headlights.

But I've heard scores of reports of self-destructing Porsche engines.

So.... maybe

1. the headlightless owners have been keeping mum about their misfortune (though that doesn't appear to be the case, given the certification of a headlight class action); or

2. the failed engines generate more 'noise' on internet forums, or

3. relatively speaking, the incidence of failed engines is over-reported; or

4. the guy(s) who lost their headlights have bags of money, lots of spare time, and an axe to grind.

I'm happiest with #3.

Speaking of being happy, and being ever mindful of the beauty of classic headlight design, Gary, this one's for you.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/2012 11:34AM by Roger987. (view changes)

Quote
Roger987
I've never heard a report of stolen headlights.

Speaking of being happy, and being ever mindful of the beauty of classic headlight design, Gary, this one's for you.

Thanks, Roger

A good set of headlights come in very handy.



"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

I heard that the xenon headlight theft in FL is pretty bad. You can pop/pry the Porsche headlights out with a screwdriver, whereas with other cars, you have to unscrew from the inside/behind the hood. I was hoping to read that the class action approved was for the IMS, however.

... in model years '03-'06 were made of plastic.
These tubes are just over the engine block, under the intake plenums, therefore they are subject to all of the heat emanated from the block.
With time (4-5 years) and use they become brittle and crack, dumping all the coolant over the engine.
In MY '07 Porsche realized the issue and made these tubes in aluminum and also offered a kit to replace the plastic tubes.
Unfortunately for the customers, the kits are quite expensive ($1,500 - $2,000) to install due to the labor and parts.
I've replaced about a half dozen of them.
So, if you are considering a Cayenne from those years, make sure that the tubes have been replaced or ask for a BIG discount.
Happy Porscheing,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Thanks, Pedro.
I looked up Cayenne cooling tubes and found this on Rennsport:
[rennsportkc.com]

So, just about the time the warranty is up, you've got a coolant leak requiring an expensive fix.
They probably saved a bundle of $ on this design substituting plastic for aluminum .

This is a crazy lawsuit and an example of what is wrong with the legal system in our country. If my house burns down, I think I'll sue my builder for making it out of wood. Good grief, we can sue for anything in this country.

Your analogy is inappropriate. If the wood manufacturer that made the wood products that were used in your house had a design defect in the manufacturing process that led to the wood being very susceptible to termites (i.e. more so than wood commonly found in the industry), and as a result, your house was chewed to the ground by termites, would you believe that to be the grounds for a lawsuit?

Everybody always thinks a lawsuit is crazy or worthless when they aren't the one who was injured.

Quote
paulwdenton
Everybody always thinks a lawsuit is crazy or worthless when they aren't the one who was injured.

...or that it's smart and righteous, if they're the attorney for the plaintiff.

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

In every class action lawsuit I have seen the lawyers get rich to the tune of million$$ and the harmed people get 25 cents each and the opportunity to buy another one at a discount. I would rather listen to rap music than be a part of a class action lawsuit.Such BS.

scroll down to watch how easy it is.....

[www.autoblog.com]