Two class action lawsuits have been filed in America against Harley-Davidson and against MWE Investments for possibly restricting customers’ right to repair purchased products.
The lawsuits originate from California and Wisconsin and differ only slightly in terms of the allegations. Basically, the issue is that Harley-Davidson tied the warranty to the requirement that repairs and service be performed only at Harley dealerships and with genuine Harley parts. This was written into the warranty terms and conditions in which many owners could not even read them completely before buying the motorcycle.
As early as June 2022, the Federal Trade Commission ordered Harley-Davidson to cease and desist from doing so, but did not have the authority to recover any resulting overpayments from customers. This is now being made up for through the class action lawsuits.
Harley-Davidson is accused of denying customers access to its full line of replacement parts. Harley customers were forced to use more expensive original parts if they did not want to lose their warranty rights. It is assumed that this also had an impact on the prices for original parts.
