California Honda Civic Hybrid owner Heather Peters chose to opt-out of a class action lawsuit and now she’s $9,867 dollars richer.

The original class-action lawsuit was filed when Honda Civic Hybrid owners realized that their vehicles were not receiving the 50 miles per gallon promised to them by Honda.

Peters was informed by the judged decision by the Associated Press for which she responded:

“I am absolutely thrilled. Sometimes big justice comes in small packages,” she said. “This is a victory for Honda Civic owners everywhere.”

Peters won nearly $10,000 by taking the company to small claims court after she decided not to be included in a class action lawsuit that would have paid her just $100 to $200.

According to estimates if Honda was forced to pay out $9,867 to every single customer involved in the class action lawsuit they would  lose nearly $2 billion.

In the meantime Peters has launched DontSettleWithHonda.org which helps other Honda Civic Hybrid owners understand the steps needed to sue the company outside of the class action lawsuit.

While small claims court means more time spent battling against the company there are no court fees and cases are quickly decided.

Honda for its part stands behind the 50 miles per gallon sticker found on new cars, according to the company they are required by federal guidelines to post the highest possible mileage possible with the vehicle. The company notes that certain driving conditions can change that MPG value.

Peters and others however claim they never saw better then 30 miles per gallon with their vehicles, 40% lower then Honda’s “maximum” mileage.

Would you rather take a few hundred dollars or spend some time in court for the chance at nearly $10,000?

Woman Wins Lawsuit Over Honda’s 50 Mile Per Gallon Gas Claims is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Honda driving customer in California has filed a lawsuit against the automobile manufacturer and the method she used has allowed her to avoid fighting against lawyers all together.

Under California state law the driver was able to file a small-claims lawsuit over her 2006 Civic hybrid and because of the nature of the claim Honda must send a company representative to court rather than a high-profile team of lawyers who are capable of scaring off potential lawsuits.

According to the Los Angeles Times the case has the potential to become a “small-claims flash mob.”

What may be worse for the car manufacturer and other companies is the fact that other small-claims lawsuits may soon follow suit as Heather Peters has started a website (Here) which shows potential lawsuit seekers how to file a small claims lawsuit of their own.

Under a proposed class-action deal Honda would pay ’03-’09  Civic hybrid owners $100 each and give them rebate vouchers for a new vehicle purchase, Honda would also pay lawyer fees totaling $8.5 million. Peters is asking Honda owners to reject the deal and instead take the company to small claims court where a stronger message can be sent as the company deals with hundreds and potentially thousands of small claims lawsuits.

[Image via Darren Brode / Shutterstock.com]

Honda Car Owner Sues Company, Manages To Avoid Lawyers is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Acura division at car manufacturer Honda is set to unveil a revised version of its former NSX supercar, a high-tech model that will be small and eco-friendly.

‘Small’ and ‘eco-friendly’ are not two words you’d use to describe the monstrous V10-powered Acura Advance Sports Car Concept (pictured above looking silver and mean) that appeared at major auto shows in 2007.

Cars to emerge from under Honda’s Acura division, the company’s luxury motors arm, have not always sold that well.

Honda bigwigs hope to change this, by giving Acura cars more of an identity. That’s not empty corporate speak, however: in the past, Acuras have been models adapted from existing Hondas sold in Europe or other markets. When the new NSX rolls out at the Detroit Auto Show in January, it will be its own design. And part of this will involve placing greater importance on affordability and sustainability, rather than features and horsepower alone. Jeff Conrad, Honda sales VP, says:

“That doesn’t mean we won’t create high-performance vehicles, but the way we do it will be unique to Acura.”

So what can we expect from the new NSX? A mid-engine two-seater, it’ll be a V6 gas-electric hybrid with multiple electric motors to improve the all-wheel-drive system. Said motors will be independently controlled by the car’s computer.

The revised NSX will succeed the $90,000 NSX original that was manufactured from 1990 to 2005, a 175-miles-per-hour beast. This new NSX is performing quite the U-turn in many aspects of its design – but can it keep the fans happy?

Honda Acura Division to Reveal New NSX Supercar is a post from: The Inquisitr

“Affected driver’s airbag inflators may deploy with too much pressure, which can cause the inflator casing to rupture and send metal and plastic pieces flying, causing injuries or even death,” Chris Martin, a Honda spokesman told the LA Times.

Martin added that the company was currently aware of 20 injuries and two deaths in connection with the faulty airbags.

According to a statement posted on the company’s website, the latest recall – the sixth since 2008 for the same problem – affects certain Honda and Acura models from 2001 to 2003, including 2001 and 2002 Honda Accords, 2001 to 2003 Civics and Odysseys , and 2003 CR-Vs and Pilots.

Acura models affected include the 2003 Acura 3.2 TL and 3.2 CL, Honda’s statement added.

For more information on the Honda/Acura airbag recall, Honda vehicle owners can visit www.recalls.honda.com or call (800) 999-1009 and select option 4; Acura owners can go to www.recalls.acura.com or call (800) 382-2238 and select option 4.

via ABCNews

Honda Announces Global Recall for Airbag Problems is a post from: The Inquisitr

Joe LoCicero’s 1990 Honda Accord may not look impressive despite its remarkably good condition, but the vehicle has brought the Maine resident good luck as it rolled over the one million mile mark on the odometer.

LoCicero had an advantage in keeping up with the clearly reliable million mile Honda, as he’d worked as a mechanic for years and knew how to take care of it. But his advice for vehicle longevity- good parts, regular services and careful operation- are within the abilities of most car owners. Luckily for Honda, not many people are up to the challenge of keeping a car in good nick for the long haul. Local car dealer Ron Russell commented:

“Joe is a testament to what you can do if you maintain your car. Thankfully, not many people do it, or we’d be out of business.”

Honda was in on the celebrations for LoCicero’s million mile Honda- including a parade and a new 2012 Honda Accord for the diligent driver- and became aware of the unusually healthy, two-decades-old vehicle back when it hit around the 950,000 mile mark. And LoCicero says he’s happy with the new car, but tells a local paper he doesn’t know what to do with the old one now:

LoCicero said he’s not sure what he’ll do with the 1990 Accord now that he has a new model, also made in Ohio.

He’s tried to sell the older model to a few car dealers recently for $1 million, hoping they’d want to display it to advertise the longevity of Honda vehicles.

“A buck a mile. That’s fair,” LoCicero said. “I didn’t get any bites.”

What’s the highest mileage you’ve gotten out of a vehicle? Would you be proud to own the million mile Honda?

Million Mile Honda Gets Man Parade, 2012 Accord is a post from: The Inquisitr

Honda Announces Recall For 962,000 Vehicles, Will Fix Power And Computer Systems is a post from: The Inquisitr

I have never ridden a motorcycle but I have friends who have, everything from Yamaha Shadows to custom Harley’s, and through them I have a real love of a finely crafted machinery.

Now I’ve posted some images of pretty sweet looking motorcycles here before but when I saw this beauty it dwarfed everything else I have posted but I’ll let the images speak for themselves and let you decide.

Splendid reinterpretation of bagger by designer Erik Dunshee on behalf of Honda Americas, a small return on this very exclusive Honda 1300 Slammer, a superb preparation produced on the basis of the already generous 1300 Honda Stateline. Lowered, widened and lengthened by the standards of the bagger, the 1300 Honda Slammer is also equipped with air suspension, a new body incorporating the luggage bags and beautiful 23-inch rims. And for lovers of good sound, we also note the presence of a hifi system board including three speakers and a subwoofer 10 inch powered amplifier not a 500w. Discovery of this motorcycle except in pictures afterwards!

via TrendsNow

There is motorcycle sweetness and then there is this awesomeness is a post from: The Inquisitr

Honda took some of the heat off Toyota for their constant cycle of recalls with a braking-related recall of their own yesterday.

The automaker recalled 470,000 2005-07 Acura RL and 2005-07 Honda Odyssey vehicles in the US, a total of 528,000 of the cars worldwide. The brake fluid leak concerns stem from when fluid other than the original kind is used, posing a risk to the seal on the master cylinder. Honda says it will replace the master brake seal on all affected vehicles, as well as the brake cylinder if leaking has already occurred.

Spokeswoman Christine Ra says the flaw does not pose very much risk to consumers, but that Honda is taking the issue seriously:

Honda recalls 470K vehicles for brake fluid issue is a post from: The Inquisitr

Honda is voluntarily recalling 646,000 compact cars worldwide- the Fit or Jazz models specifically- due to a window switch defect that could lead to fire in “severe” weather conditions.

Honda released a statement describing the defect:

“Under some severe operating conditions, water, rain, or other liquid may enter the driver’s window and reach the master power window switch, resulting in impaired function of the switch,” the Japanese car maker said in a statement. “If the master power window switch is damaged as a result of the liquid intrusion, it may result in failure of the switch and overheating.

“An overheating switch may cause smoke, melting or, potentially, fire,” it added.

171,372 units of the car are being recalled in the UK, where the model is known as the Honda Jazz. 229,000 units are being recalled in Latin America, and 141,140 are affected in the US. The Honda recall is the second major car manufacturer defect in the news this week, following Toyota halting the sale of popular models in the US due to a tendency for accelerator pedals to stick.

[WSJ]

Honda set to recall Fit over fire hazard is a post from: The Inquisitr

Carmaker, Honda, is recalling more than 440,000 vehicles because of a potentially fatal airbag problem.

Takata stocks plumeted after yesterday’s recall of over 440,000 vehicles by Honda. Takata, the auto parts manufacturer who supplied the faulty airbags to Honda, said that the airbags made for Honda vehicles are different than the ones they make for other vehicles, so no other carmakers have been affected by the recall. About 285,000 units of the models have been recalled in the U.S. and more worldwide, with over 440,000 units affected in all, Honda spokeswoman Yasuko Matsuura said.

So far, the airbag defect has resulted in one death in the U.S.

From a press release from Honda:

07/31/2009 – TORRANCE, Calif. -

An existing safety recall of the driver’s airbag in certain 2001 Honda Accords and Civics due to a potential defect in the airbag’s inflation system is being expanded to include more vehicles, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today. Originally initiated in November 2008, approximately 440,000 additional vehicles are included in the expanded recall, which will require the replacement of the driver’s steering-wheel-mounted airbag inflator.

In some vehicles, airbag inflators can produce over-pressurization of the driver’s (front) airbag inflator mechanism during airbag deployment. If an affected inflator deploys, the increased internal pressure may cause the inflator casing to rupture. Metal fragments could pass through the cloth airbag cushion material, possibly causing an injury or fatality to vehicle occupants.

Registered owners of vehicles that potentially contain affected inflators will receive a recall notice in the mail over the next few months, with the owners of vehicles most likely to include a problem airbag being contacted first. The recall notice will include further instructions to help schedule a repair to each vehicle. Interested owners may confirm their vehicle’s recall status by visiting the Honda “Owner Link” website at www.owners.honda.com/recalls or the Acura “My Acura” website at www.owners.acura.com/recalls. Only certain vehicles are affected, and concerned owners of 2001-2002 Accords, 2001 Civics and 2002-2003 Acura TLs are encouraged to wait to receive a recall notice in the mail before scheduling an appointment with their local dealer.

For more information and downloadable high-resolution images of Honda and Acura vehicles, please visit www.hondanews.com and www.acuranews.com. Consumers can verify their vehicle’s recall status by visiting www.owners.honda.com/recalls for Honda vehicles and www.owners.acura.com/recalls for Acura vehicles.

Honda recalling 440,000 cars due to potentially fatal airbag defect is a post from: The Inquisitr

Yes folks that is one hot looking sports car but what is even hotter is that it is hydrogen powered. Ya I know it’s only a concept from Honda but still doesn’t it just make you drool.

The FC Sport was unveiled last week at the L.A. Auto Show by Honda as part of their on-going research into hydrogen power for vehicles. The car was designed to show that the new green technologies can compete against any gas guzzler thrown at it. The ultimate goal for Honda with the FC Sport was to develop a lightweight vehicle with a low center of gravity and a high performance electric powertrain.

Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go find my drool towel.

[many props to Inhabitat for the pics]

Damn this is hot! is a post from: The Inquisitr