Honda loses Civic hybrid Small Claims Court lawsuit

The owner of a Honda Civic hybrid won an unusual Small Claims Court lawsuit against American Honda Motor Co. Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan ruled that the giant automaker mislead Civic owner Heather Peters when it claimed that the hybrid could achieve as much as 50 miles per gallon. Peters said the Torrance Small Claims Court commissioner awarded her $9,867 in damages, very close to the maximum $10,000 allowed in Small Claims Court that the Los Angeles resident was seeking.