Honda sued over hybrid gas-electric mileage claim

[marchesarosa]

Honda being sued in small claims court by woman they ignored over hybrid gas-electric mileage claim.

Civic Hybrid owner sues Honda in small-claims court for poor gas mileage

By Linda Deutsch
Associated Press
Posted: 01/03/2012 12:04:06 PM PST


TORRANCE -- A woman who expected her Civic Hybrid to be her dream car wants Honda to pay for not delivering the 50 mpg it promised.

But rather than joining other owners in a class-action lawsuit, Heather Peters is going solo against the automaker in small-claims court, an unusual move that could offer a bigger payout. And if successful, it could open the door to a flood of similar lawsuits.
A trial was set for Tuesday in Torrance, where American Honda has its West Coast headquarters.

Peters, a former lawyer, says that as her vehicle's battery deteriorated, it got only 30 mpg.

When Honda ignored her complaints, she filed legal papers seeking reimbursement for her trouble and the extra money she spent on gas. The suit could cost the company up to $10,000.

If other Civic owners follow her lead, she estimates Honda could be forced to pay as much as $2 billion in damages. No high-priced lawyers are involved, and the process is streamlined.

more here
www.chicoer.com/ci_19665994

and also here

wattsupwiththat.com/2012/01/05/honda-being-sued-in-small-claims-court-by-woman-they-ignored-over-hybrid-gas-electric-gas-mileage/

[jonjel]

Ah, but this is America.

Which reminds me of the case where a chap bought himself a brand new camper type van. Great, read the paperwork and collected if=t from the dealer.

And he merrily went down the freeway on his way home, set the cruise control and then went into the back to make himself a cup of coffee. Perhaps it was not surprising to most people that it left the road and turned over.

However he sued the manufacturers, and won! Because nowhere in the paperwork did it tell you that you had to remain in the drives seat while the vehicle was in motion.

[eamonnshute]

There was a story once about a woman who complained about the high fuel consumption of her new car. The mechanic could not find anything wrong so he asked her to take him for a drive so he could see if it was something to do with the way she drove. On the way she decided to pop into a shop and buy a few items. When she came back she pulled out the choke and hung her shopping bag on it!

[principled]

Marchesa
Unfortunately, people think that battery technology has kept up with the material technology used in IC engines. It hasn't.
40 years ago, you would have needed to service your car every 5k, with an interim service at 2.5k. In all likelihood you would have had to have a reconditioned engine at 30-50k. Today, even the worst engines go for 100k+ or 10yrs+ without problems.
People naturally think that if they buy a hybrid, the battery part will last as long as the engine, but we know it won't. The engine part of the hybrid will continue to perform, but as the batteries age they fail to hold charge and so any charger input is just wasted energy.
I view these cars in the same light as low energy bulbs, an interim technology introduced because of legislation. In the case of bulbs, we would have been better off waiting for functional LEDs, and with hybrids we'd be better off waiting for fuel cell technology (IMO).