Honda Civic owners take Honda to small claims court (U.S)

When new car shoppers find out that their cars are unable to achieve official fuel economy figures, motorists are often left frustrated, however, very few do anything about it.

Call in Californian resident Heather Peters, dissatisfied owner of a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid sedan, who says her car achieves around 20mpg U.S less than the official figure.

Annoyed that Honda isn't assisting with her predicament, Peters will take Honda Motors is a Small Claims Court, where she can avoid Honda’s army of lawyers, although if she won, compensation would be limited to $10,000. However, Peters is not stopping there. She is encouraging other Civic Hybrid owners to do the same, and even set-up a website that provides a unique guideline state-by-state to take Honda to a Small Claims Court.

Some say Peters' plan could cause issues in the automotive industry. “This could create a lot of problems in the industry,” said Aaron Jacoby, a defence lawyer in Los Angeles.