Honda Settles Lawsuit Over Civic Hybrid Mileage Claim

In 2007, over 120,000 Civic Hybrid owners had a beef with Honda. So much so, in fact, that they sued the Japanese company. What do you reckon the reason could be? Unsafe cars? Think again. Poor build quality? No, they sued Honda because their Civic Hybrids didn’t get the stated fuel mileage. New York Times’ Wheels Blog reports that 2 plantiffs, John True of Ontario, California, and Gonzalo Delgado of Chino Hills California along with 120,000 other Honda Civic Hybrid owners argued in the United States District Court for the Central District of California that they were only getting 31 mpg instead of the advertised 49mpg in the city and 51 mpg on the highway. The plaintiffs believe that Honda’s advertising led them to believe that the Civic Hybrid would get better fuel economy than is likely in real world driving. Needless to say, the plaintiffs weren’t challenging the EPA methods of predicting mileage, just that Honda, allegedly, deceived customers by not making it clear that they were unlikely to achieve the EPA figures. Honda, naturally, have a different take.

They believe that assertions against them are illogical. The EPA tested the vehicle and gave the car a rating. They also say they followed all federal regulations and refuse to admit to any wrongdoing. What makes this story even more bizarre is the outcome. Honda, for whatever reason has decided on a settlement. What has been proposed is that Mr True will receive $12,500, Mr Delgado will receive $10,000 and the remaining 120,000 unhappy Civic hybrid owners will get, at most, a coupon for $1000 off a new Honda. And as with every coupon, there’s small print. The coupon isn’t valid for the Insight, Civic Hybrid, Fit or any certified used Honda or Acura. The coupon cannot be transferred and the current hybrid must be sold or traded in. If that settlement doesn’t grab the plaintiffs, then there are 2 more options: A $500 discount for a customer who doesn’t want to sell their Civic Hybrid or $100 cash. “The purchaser of a Honda Civic Hybrid is a person who is interested in fuel economy,” said Clarence Ditlow, the Executive director of the Centre for Auto Safety, “So, the settlement allows them to buy any vehicle but a fuel-efficient vehicle. In other words, you get a coupon for the purchase of a vehicle that you don’t want.” pointing out the obvious flaw with Honda’s proposed settlement. But Mr Ditlow forgot to mention the cherry on the settlement: Honda will also throw in a DVD on getting better fuel economy. At least Honda didn’t take the condescension any further and include a copy of “An Inconvenient Truth.”