Honda wins appeal of small-claims hybrid judgment - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

A California judge has overturned a nearly $10,000 small claims judgment against Honda. The move marked a rejection of an earlier victory for car owner Heather Peters who said the automaker misrepresented that her hybrid Civic could get 50 miles per gallon.

Superior Court Judge Dudley Gray ruled on Honda's appeal of a court commissioner's award to Peters.

Peters had opted out of a class-action settlement giving some 200,000 owners between $100 and $200 each, plus a rebate if they buy a new Honda. She elected instead to sue the automaker on her own.

Herself a lawyer, Peters called on Honda owners to take the small-claims route as she did. Her initial success led some 1,700 other hybrid owners to follow suit.

The ruling by Gray will not have a direct effect on any of those other cases. However, a legal observer said it could pose a challenge to those pursuing small claims actions.

The ruling found that federal, not state, regulations govern fuel economy ratings posted on vehicles and related advertising claims. The ruling also said most owners of that type of car achieve fuel economy close to federal Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

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