Honda Motor Company lawyers returned to court in California on Thursday to try to overturn a nearly $10,000 worth of small claims court award to Heather Peters who sued the auto industry for false-advertised fuel economy of her Honda Civic Hybrid.
Peters, who opted out of class-action settlement which was to award some 200,000 Civic Hybrid owners $100-200 each plus a rebate on next Honda vehicle, went for a small claims court instead and was award $9,867 in February. Furthermore, she advertises what she did on her website, which led around 1,700 other Civic Hybrid owners do the same.
According to Peters, who recently renewed her law license, her car was advertised to get as much as 50 miles per gallon while the actual mileage she got was far less, around 30 mpg. The judge at a Torrance Superior Court trial ruled in her favor.
Honda appealed the case and the company’s lawyers met at the court on Thursday. Per small claims court rule, this is Honda’s last chance to overturn the previous rule.
Karen Takahashi, a service manager at Honda Hollywood, testified for the company that Peters indeed achieved 53 to 55 mpg on the test drive, as the Associated Press reported. Honda’s lawyer Roy Brisbois accused Peters for being an aggressive driver, which caused the low fuel efficiency. Brisbois said Peters’ previous car was sportier and had extreme wear on the outside of the tires.
Peters insisted that she is a conservative driver and that the vehicle deteriorated quickly after the purchase.
Superior court judge Dudley W. Gray II will take this matter under submission Friday. The ruling will be issued later.
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