This class-action lawsuit against Porsche started in California. But it has the makings to extend to many other states soon. Warranty work is cheating Porsche owners in California according to the lawsuit. The plaintiffs say they’re charged for parts and repairs that should be covered under California’s emissions laws. 

Expensive emissions components must be covered under a seven-year 70,000 mile warranty

But the plaintiffs also say they reserve the right to expand this lawsuit to other states as more information becomes available. The manufacturer must cover expensive emissions components under warranty in Cali. The lawsuit says that Porsche fails to identify those types of emissions components. 

“All persons in California who have been owners or lessees of PORSCHE vehicles and who have paid for repairs and parts that should have been covered under PORSCHE’s “high-priced warranted parts” 7-year 70,000-mile California emissions warranty (the “Class”),” are part of this class-action lawsuit.

Porsche limits the amount of seven-year and 70,000 miles warrantied parts according to the lawsuit. Instead, it only covers them for four years and 50,000 miles. So Porsche is saving lots of money on emissions repairs in Cali and possibly elsewhere. 

The California Code of Regulations explains to manufacturers like Porsche how the warranty works

Components considered “high-priced warranted parts” are required to be listed for the seven-year 70,000 eligibility regulations. The California Code of Regulations spells out the requirement in its “Emission Control System Warranty Requirements for 1990 and Subsequent Model Year Passenger Car, Light-Trucks, and Medium-Duty Vehicles and Engines.”

So the lawsuit claims that Porsche makes buyers pay for items it should be legally paying themselves. A “warranted part” is defined as, “any part installed on a motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine by the vehicle or engine manufacturer, or installed in a warranty repair, which affects any regulated emission from a motor vehicle or engine which is subject to California emission standards.”

Porsche has run afoul with the state over emissions issues before

This isn’t the first time that Porsche has run afoul of California emissions standards. Back in 2019, it settled many emissions-type issues with the California Air Resources Board or CARB. Porsche cars found not to be in compliance were built between 2014 and 2017. Porsches involved amounted to over 23,000.

Porsche was also fined over diesel emissions testing in 2019. This was similar to Volkswagen’s “dieselgate” scam. Also at that time, it conducted an internal investigation looking into the manipulation of gas-powered emissions testing. Most of these Porsche cars were built between 2008 and 2013. 

This class-action lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California. It was filed by the Law Office of Robert L. Starr.