Your Mileage Will Vary: Honda Wins Reversal of Legal Settlement Over 50 MPG Hybrid Claims

Your Mileage Will Vary: Honda Wins Reversal of Legal Settlement Over 50 MPG Hybrid Claims

Remember former corporate defense lawyer Heather Peters, who took Honda to court because her 2006 Civic Hybrid couldn't achieve more than "41 to 42 mpg even on its best days in the best conditions"? Peters won the first round, but her victory in the small claims lawsuit was reversed today by California Judge Dudley W. Gray II, who concluded that Honda's fuel economy figures are in compliance with EPA standards.

February's decision would have refunded $ 100 or $ 200 to Civic owners depending on model, and up to $ 1500 towards the purchase of a new vehicle. But more than 1700 people had opted out of the initial ruling, according to Peters' self-explanatory website, dontsettlewithhonda.org. Judges have ruled in favor of Honda in 16 of 17 separate claims over real-world Civic Hybrid mileage figures since January, according to a statement by Honda spokesman Chris Martin.

With hybrids surpassing the 50 mpg barrier and internal combustion subcompacts routinely achieving 40 mpg highway ratings, the expectations for real world fuel economy are sky-high. The logical conclusion? This probably won't be the last mileage-related lawsuit we'll see. 

Source: Bloomberg

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