美國本田車廠廣告訴訟得到和解

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:
ホンダのハイブリッド車（ＨＶ）を購入した米国の消費者が、燃費が広告などで示されていたよりも悪かったなどと主張し、同社に損害賠償を求めていた集団訴訟の和解協議が１６日、カリフォルニア州サンディエゴの地方裁判所であった。
　ホンダ側が１人当たり最高２００ドル（約１万６７００円）を支払うことなどで、和解が成立した。
　対象者は約２０万人で、２００３年～０９年モデルの「シビック」のＨＶ所有者。担当判事は和解額を約１億７０００万ドル（約１４２億円）になると見積もっているが、今後の状況に応じて増減する見通し。
　ＡＰ通信などによると、対象者は車の年式に応じて１００ドルから２００ドルの和解金が支払われるのに加え、将来、ホンダの新車を購入する場合、最高１５００ドルの値引きを受ける権利も得られる。
　ホンダは１６日、「裁判所による和解の承認に満足している」などとする声明を出した。
　ホンダのＨＶを巡っては、この集団訴訟に加わらなかった米国の購入者による同様の少額訴訟で先月、原告側が勝訴し、裁判所がホンダに９８６７ドルの賠償を命じている。
（2012年3月17日19時41分 読売新聞）
(試譯文)
Reconciliation deliberation was handed down by the District court of San Diego, California on the 16th regarding the group action by the consumers of the U.S. who had purchased the hybrid car (HV) of Honda; they claimed that car's fuel consumption was worse than had been shown in the advertisement etc., and were asking the company for reparations.
Reconciliation was achieved because the Honda side paid a maximum of 200 dollars per person (about 16,700 yen).
There were about 200,000 candidates and they were HV owners of "Civic" 2003-20 09 model.
The judge in charge estimated the amount of reconciliation was about 170 million dollars (about 14,200 million yen), but it was expected to adjust according to the future situation.
According to the Associated Press etc. when the candidate in future would buy a new car of Honda, in addition to the settlement package of 100 to 200 dollars paid according to the model of the car involved, he had the right to receive a maximum of 1500-dollar discount also.
Honda on the 16th issued a statement saying that "it is satisfied with the court's recognition of the reconciliation".
Regarding the HV of Honda, last month there was a similar small claims lawsuit by US buyers who did not join the group action; the plaintiff side won the case and the court had ordered Honda to pay compensation of 9,867 dollars.


Companies should know that exaggeration in the advertisement could bring trouble.