More than half of the nation's state attorneys general are objecting to a deal to settle a 2007 class action lawsuit against Honda Motor Co. over claims of inflated mileage for a hybrid vehicle. In March 2007, John True, an Ontario, Calif., jazz pianist, filed suit after he bought a Honda Civic hybrid but couldn't get the gas-electric hybrid's advertised mileage: 49 miles per gallon in the city, 51 miles per gallon on the highway.
After 6,000 miles of driving, True said he averaged just 32 miles per gallon in mixed city/highway driving. True's frustration with the actual mileage of his hybrid as compared to the advertised mileage echoes that of other owners and reflected the findings of some independent tests, including one by Consumer Reports.
Honda and lawyers for True have reached a proposed settlement, but 26 state attorney generals, including Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, objected this week in U.S. District Court in Riverside, Calif.
To settle the case, Honda would send nearly 160,000 current and former Civic Hybrid owners a DVD containing tips on improving fuel economy.
2009 LA Auto Show Photo Gallery
2011 BMW 5-Series Photo Gallery
2010 Lexus GX460 and 470 Photo Gallery
2010 BMW 7-Series M-Sport Photo Gallery
2009 SEMA AUTO SHOW Photo Gallery Now LIVE!
Read Article