LOS ANGELES – Honda Motor Co. lost a lawsuit in a Los Angeles court Wednesday filed by an American woman who said her hybrid did not get the fuel efficiency stated in its advertisements.
The Los Angeles Superior Court ordered Honda to pay $9,867 (about ¥750,000) in damages to the woman, who sued for $10,000. The automaker said it will appeal the ruling.
The suit has drawn attention because the owner of the 2006 Civic hybrid was calling on other Honda owners to file similar small-claims suits at a time when more drivers are seeking fuel-efficient vehicles as gasoline prices soar.
The plaintiff, Heather Peters, said in the suit that while Honda claimed in advertisements that her car could achieve 21 km per liter, it managed less than 13 once the battery deteriorated.
Honda argued that its calculation of gas mileage was appropriate under the law.