Saturday Brings Key Deadline For Honda Civic Hybrid Owners Disappointed In Fuel Economy

AOL Autos:

Since an improbable victory over Honda last week in a California small-claims court, a woman who sued over the disappointing fuel economy on her Civic hybrid says she has fielded hundreds of inquiries from disgruntled owners asking how they can follow in her footsteps.

Heather Peters says she has been happy to answer questions, and she's curious to see how many file small-claims court cases of their own. She's not the only one.

Automakers, legal experts and consumer-rights advocates are keeping an eye on what happens in the aftermath of her victory. Every car company today must advertise fuel economy to comply with regulation. But many--Ford, Hyundai, Chevy, Toyota and Honda, for example-- regularly trumpet fuel economy ratings in an attempt to convey quality and innovation, as well as appeal to pocketbooks when gas prices spike. They'll all have a clearer idea of what they are facing from disappointed consumers and judges soon.

Read the whole story: AOL Autos

Comments

[DeanWormer]

08:14 PM on 02/12/2012

Er...the govt is responsible for mpg ratings, not the auto makers.

[mynamesyow]

01:31 PM on 02/13/2012

no, the auto makers are responsible for COMPLIANCE, which is the issue here.

[JShep]

04:27 PM on 02/12/2012

According to Consumer Reports testing of "all" brands and types of vehicles, hardly any live up to their EPA ratings under real driving conditions. Looks like the entire auto industry is in for class action suits. Bad for the auto industry, bad for hybrids, bad for everyone except the lawyers. Only in the US!

[SeenItBefore]

01:53 PM on 02/12/2012

I've remained amazed at this country and its inability to allow vehicles on US roads that get great milage. In England last year we rented a diesel Ford Focus and averaged 41 mpg. Earlier that year we rent an Ibiza in Portugal and got 38 mpg on gas. A turbo-diesel Citroen in France delivered 44 mpg over a 5 week period in 2008.

You can not purchase ANY of these vehicles in this country. There is a reason and our crooked politicians and big oil are that reason.

[JShep]

04:29 PM on 02/12/2012

Doncha think consumer preferance has a little to do with which vehicles are purchased??

[SeenItBefore]

04:00 PM on 02/16/2012

I do, but when we returned from France in 2008, I was prepared to buy the Citroen C-4 we drove around Europe, only to discover it unavailable in North America. Closest dealership was Guatemala.

[DeanWormer]

08:12 PM on 02/12/2012

There are no restrictions on allowing high mileage cars on the road.

[daultman463]

02:01 PM on 02/13/2012

There are on the some my friend . Ford has been trying for years to bring their diesels in small cars here from Europe but they don`t meet federal emmisions.

[Dadzilla]

09:52 AM on 02/12/2012

"A Honda advertisement that accurately referenced EPA mileage estimates truthfully stated that a driver can get "up to 50 mpg" and carefully noted that the mileage will vary is not misleading," the company's statement said.

There in lays the problem... the manufactures have so influenced this process it's almost laughable. Nobody drives on a dynamometer, but that's how they are tested.

[David Van Zan]

09:51 AM on 02/12/2012

LOL... Hybrids..

American Citizens let their leaders(clinton,bush,obama same dif...) along with corporate dirtballs, rip off the American people. In 1951 VW ran a prototype Diesel with over 40 mpg in a Beetle. 1976-1981ish VW gave us the Rabbit Diesel with over 50 mpg(tweekable to almost 70mpg by enthusiasts today).... SUCKERS.... Keep Voting these Pigs into Office. Keep supporting Bunk technology and Fake "green" products. Pathetic...

[Heroldness]

09:44 AM on 02/13/2012

Excuse me, I had a Rabbit Diesel and I never saw anything over 35mpgs..............................................and I do not recall seeing anything in writing or comercialized that made claims like you're stating. Maybe I missed something, where are you getting your information?

[mynamesyow]

01:32 PM on 02/13/2012

LINKS please. for us un-educated. unless you're just posting your Subjective Opinion....then by all means...

[David Van Zan]

01:55 PM on 02/13/2012

You really could do your own homework...
Try to Google it for starters. "Rabbit Diesel", a few sites pop up like "ecomodder". You'll read about what some people do to tweak them. Some very basic stuff like timing, seals, pump, synthetic oil, etc... Sorry, you need to go beyond the factory info and the basic Haynes shop books. It's pretty well known info, but these benefits are not for the lazy or those that want it all done and packaged for them. I'm not trying to be insulting but if you really can't find this info on the Internet today, you are not trying very hard and probably don't feel comfortable "breaking the rules". There are mods to any car, even new cars today that for example can increase your power/horse power by just changing the air filter(K&N for example). No, they don't spell it out for you in the manual.. but it's pretty much common knowledge.
So yes, I guess it's just subjective opinion, pay no attention to the individual rantings of an internet "know it all". probably just hot air..... LOL.. see ya' at the gas station, (just a bit less often..)

[YoBear]

09:07 AM on 02/12/2012

Of course the $100 settlement in the class action suit is ridiculous.

[YoBear]

09:06 AM on 02/12/2012

Good for her! I'm surprised at the $9800 reward. If she drives 15000 miles a year then she would need an extra 100 gallons of gas since the car gets 37mpg and not 50. So $400 per year extra

[JShep]

04:32 PM on 02/12/2012

The 50 MPG rating was based on EPA dictated testing standards, required by law. Honda had no choice but to use them. It's the EPA that should be sued, not the manufacturers.

[Watersisland]

10:05 PM on 02/12/2012

Obviously the courts don't agree with that, and so obviously, your theory is faulty.

[mamacat]

02:53 AM on 02/12/2012

I have noticed that the mpg rating on the window stickers appear to be inaccurate, and always on the side of the manufacturers.

It would be nice if the auto makers would at least try to be honest in their mpg estimates.

[daultman463]

02:01 PM on 02/13/2012

Sorry mamacat but it isn`t that easy. As a sales mgr at a ford store you could put 10 people in a car and they would get 10 different MPG . The MPG estimates are just that in that they estimate what the EPA says they will get. Next time look closer at the window stick and under the city mpg is the range which is few under and over the MPG

[amoment]

05:14 PM on 02/11/2012

Kudos to Ms. Peters and all who follow suit!