The woman who took Honda to small claims court because her Civic didn’t live up to its advertised gas mileage is now almost $10,000 richer thanks to a Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner ruling.

Instead of accepting a proposed class-action lawsuit settlement between $100 and $200 and $1,000 toward the purchase of a new car, she won a judgment against the company for $9,867. The AP cites the judge’s statement:

“At a bare minimum Honda was aware … that by the time Peters bought her car there were problems with its living up to its advertised mileage.”

The woman, who launched the site Don’t Settle With Honda to spread word of her campaign, said she was told the Civic would get 50 miles per gallon but the car never got more than 30 mpg.

Next month, a San Diego County judge will give Honda’s class-action settlement thumbs up or thumbs down. As things currently stand, consumers involved in the class-action suit have until Feb. 11 to opt out of the deal.

Honda loses small-claims suit over hybrid MPG [AP via MSNBC]

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