Consumer Watchdog Sues Hyundai over MPGs

Consumer Watchdog has announced that it has partnered with the California law firm of Cuneo Gilbert and La Duca, LLP to sue Hyundai over deceptive advertising practices.

The suit alleges that the car company advertises its Elantra - which was recently taken to task by Motor Trend over its disappointing mpg performance - as receiving much better gas mileage than it actually does.

"Hyundai used the '40 MPG' figure in a deceptive manner in order to differentiate the Elantra from similar vehicles, an especially egregious tactic during a time when consumers are looking for relief from continually rising gasoline prices," Laura Antonini, staff attorney for Consumer Watchdog, said in a statement.

"Car companies are required to disclose certain information when mileage estimates are provided in their advertisements and Hyundai ignored the rules," said William Anderson, attorney an attorney with Cuneo Gilbert and LaDuca. "Without this required information, consumers cannot make accurate comparisons when shopping for vehicles."

Consumer Watchdog also released a statement by plaintiff Louis Bird of Sacramento, California. "I feel like Hyundai took advantage me. Hyundai's advertisements about the '40 MPG' gas mileage of the Elantra instantly caught my attention. I bought the car thinking I would be seeing major savings at the pump and getting over 500 miles per tank, but Hyundai fooled me," said Bird, who owns a 2011 Elantra and is representing other consumers in the class-action suit. "I have not saved any money on gas and have been driving the Elantra for well over a year now. It is frustrating and disappointing. I never would have bought the Elantra in the first place if I hadn't seen Hyundai's ads boasting about gas mileage."

Hyundai has yet to make a statement on the lawsuit.

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