Honda Hybrid Owner Awarded $10,000 in Lawsuit Demanding Compensation For All the Gas She Was Supposed to Save
A former lawyer won nearly $10,000 in a lawsuit against Honda in small-claims court.
Heather Peters claimed that the car company promised her that she would save a ton of gas money by buying a 2006 Honda Civic hybrid that got 50 miles to the gallon—while knowing that claim wasn't true. A court commissioner agreed with her and awarded her $9,867, according to City News Service.
Peters used her lawyering skills to take the company to small-claims court in Torrance, where she wouldn't have to face off against a fleet of corporate attorneys. Honda claimed that the car's poor mileage was because of the way Peters drove and maintained her car. Peters said that if she had taken her claim to the Superior Court and filed a class-action, the affected owners likely would have received only $100 or $200 each.
Peters told the Los Angeles Times: "It is a victory for Civic Hybrid owners and consumers everywhere. Sometimes big justice comes in small packages." But it's not clear whether her suit could start off a trend among hybrid owners.
