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Consumer Protection
Honda Hybrid Litigation
Chimicles & Tikellis LLP filed a class action complaint in the Central District of California against American Honda Motor Co., Inc., on behalf of all persons who purchased or leased a new Honda Civic Hybrid (“HCH”) from Defendant in the United States between March 1, 2003 through March 1, 2007. Honda first introduced a hybrid car to the U.S. market in 1999, touting its new fuel-friendly engine to the most immediately available answer to consumers’ pressing need for a fuel efficient automobile as the price of gasoline moved steadily upward, (eventually rising) to over $3.00 a gallon.
This case challenges the disingenuous way that Honda advertises and markets the HCH, with inaccurate representations of fuel economy that the car simply does not achieve under normal driving conditions. The challenged representations of fuel economy in the marketing and advertising of the HCH are not required by law and they are not put in the appropriate context. Honda’s advertisements with their untrue, materially misleading or deceptive statements concerning fuel efficiency and cost savings were communicated to every consumer who purchased an HCH from Defendant during the Class Period.
The complaint asserts claims against the Defendant under the Unfair Competition Law (“UCL”), Cal. Bus. & Pro. Code § 17200, et seq., False Advertising Law (“FAL”), Bus. & Pro. Code § 17500, et seq., the Consumer Legal Remedies Act (“CLRA”), Cal. Civil Code § 1750, et seq., and for common law Unjust Enrichment.
On June 25, 2007, Centrai District of California held that plaintiffs' putative class action for false advertising could proceed against American Honda Motor Co., denying the defendant's motion to dismiss. Judge Virginia A. Phillips held that nothing in the federal "sticker" law for new automobiles preempted the Califonia statute outlawing false advertising.
The class action filed by Chimicles & Tikellis seeks actual, compensatory, and punitive damages, restitution, and equitable relief, including disgorgement or profits and injunction, and attorney's fees and costs. The complaint can be viewed by clicking here.
For further information you may contact:
Denise Davis Schwartzman (DeniseSchwartzman@chimicles.com)
Chimicles & Tikellis LLP
One Haverford Center
Haverford, PA 19041
1-866-399-2487
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