If you don't get the gas mileage the manufacturer of your car has promoted, sue the carmaker.
That's the approach Heather Peters, a former attorney, is taking against Honda in a small claims court suit. She claims her 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid has achieved about 60 percent of the gas mileage she expected.
Peters says her Honda Civic Hybrid never approached its marketed 50 mpg estimates. And as the car's battery deteriorated, Peter said it only achieved 30 mpg.
Peters wants Honda to pay $10,000 for her trouble and the extra money she spent on gas.
The trial is set for Tuesday afternoon in Torrance, California, where American Honda Motor Co. has its West Coast headquarters.
Peters opted out of a series of class-action lawsuits filed on behalf of similar Honda hybrid owners when she saw a proposed settlement would give owners no more than $200 cash and a rebate of $500 or $1,000 to purchase a new Honda. The settlement would give trial lawyers $8.5 million, Peters said.
A judge in San Diego County is due to rule in March on whether to approve Honda’s latest class action settlement offer. Members of the class have until Feb. 11 to accept or decline the settlement.
Peters has launched the website www.DontSettleWithHonda.org. It encourages other Honda Civic Hybrid owners who've experienced low gas mileage to also file small claims suits.
Article Last Updated: August 27, 2021.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
As the batteries deteriorate, your gas mileage will go down. That's a fact. The batteries used in electrics and hybrids begin fading around 300 charge cycles…..just like in your phones, laptops and toy helicopters. They should tell people this.