Honda is facing what appears to be the first legal challenge of the mileage claims of hybrid vehicles, The Boston Globe reports. John Tue says he bought a Honda Civic hybrid based on its advertised mileage – 49 miles per gallon in the city, 51 miles per gallon on the highway, but after 6,000 miles of driving, True said he averaged just 32 miles per gallon in mixed city/highway driving.
In March, True filed a class-action lawsuit in U S District Court in Riverside, California.
The suit notes that while the Environmental Protection Agency and automobile window stickers say “mileage will vary,” some Honda’s advertisements read “mileage may vary.” That implies that it’s possible to get the mileage advertised, according to True’s attorney.
