Honda Hybrid Civic MPG

(LOS ANGELES) - A Los Angeles choose Wednesday overturned a small-claims court docket ruling towards American honda civic mpg Motor Co. over the decrease-than-marketed fuel mileage of its 2006 Civic Hybrid.

Heather Peters had sued for $10,000, the utmost allowed in small-claims court docket, and had been awarded $9,867 on Feb. 1 after telling the court docket that her car obtained 30 miles per gallon (mpg), not the 50 mpg the corporate advertised, costing her unexpected gasoline cash and resale value.

In overturning the ruling, Superior Court docket Judge Dudley W. Gray discovered that whereas Peters had standing to sue in state courtroom, “federal regulations control the gas economic system rankings posted on autos” and ads citing them. The Environmental Safety Agency (EPA) regulates fuel economic system, and the Federal Trade Commission governs ads. Honda complied with both companies’ guidelines, the judge ruled.

EPA ratings “are for comparability amongst automobiles,” the ruling mentioned, and ignore “many factors that have an effect on mileage at a given moment.” These embrace pace, size of trip, weather and air con, it said. “Regardless of these variables,” the ruling said, “the majority of users report mileage very near the EPA estimates.”

Regarding Peters’ criticism that Mpg honda civic used slogans resembling “sipping gasoline” and “saves money on gasoline,” the court mentioned these were “non-actionable gross sales puffery” and “not particular guarantees of anything.”

“In fact I’m disenchanted,” Peters told ABC Information through email. “However I’m nonetheless glad that I raised consciousness that mpg on Honda civic is not the great brand that it used to be. They used to go the extra mile in customer service. Now they go the additional mile fighting clients in court. I assume the ethical of the story is, purchaser beware - especially of Honda!”