Energy Reports

Law360, New York (June 02, 2014, 2:11 PM ET) -- Dissident class members on Friday attacked a settlement resolving accusations that Hyundai Motor America and Kia Motors America overstated the fuel efficiency of more than 900,000 vehicles, saying the deal’s claims-made structure will unjustly curtail customer payouts.

Several law firms are objecting to the proposed settlement of a class-action suit seeking damages for the inflated fuel economy claims of South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia.

The attorneys said the settlement is designed to discourage owners of the vehicles from filing claims and then allows the automakers to keep any uncollected money.

Attorneys at Consumer Watchdog and a group of law firms representing owners of Hyundai and Kia vehicles whose fuel economy (miles per gallon) was misrepresented by Hyundai and Kia say the terms of a proposed settlement between the vehicle manufacturers and two other plaintiffs’ law firms should be improved, according to a lengthy analysis prepared by the Consumer Watchdog team.

38 plaintiffs' firms take issue with $400 million offer over claims

LOS ANGELES - A proposed $400 million settlement in a class action lawsuit involving allegations that automakers Hyundai Motor America and Kia Motors America inflated the fuel economy of their vehicles is running into opposition from some plaintiffs' attorneys unhappy with the terms of the offer.

Santa Monica, CA -- Consumer Watchdog will closely scrutinize the formal settlement, filed on December 23, between Hyundai, Kia and two law firms that would resolve dozens of lawsuits brought on behalf of 900,000 consumers whose gas mileage did not meet the miles per gallon advertised by the South Korean car companies, the California-based non-profit organization said today.

Settlement over MPG claims seen as 'sweetheart deal' by some plaintiffs

Last Thursday, February 14, Federal District Court Judge George H. Wu held an initial hearing on class action lawsuits filed against Hyundai and Kia across the country for falsifying gas mileage estimates.

Federal District Court Judge George H. Wu will hold his first hearing Thursday in the litigation over the MPG fraud by Hyundai and Kia.

Orlando, FL -- Consumer lawsuits related to Hyundai’s misrepresentation of vehicle mileage moved a step closer to court today when a special panel of federal court judges meeting in Orlando, Florida held a hearing on a request by Consumer Watchdog lawyers to centralize all such lawsuits in a Southern California federal court.

Washington, DC – United States Senator and Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller has written the president and chief executive of Hyundai Motors America to answer questions about the company’s false “Mile Per Gallon” window sticker claims that were exposed by an Environmental Protection Agency audit.

Unleash the lawyers.

A class-action lawsuit was filed within 48 hours after South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor America and Kia Motors Corp. apologized for overstating the fuel economy of their vehicles.

Hyundai and Kia have admitted the estimated mileage of more than 900,000 cars, trucks and sport-utes sold in the United States and 120,000 sold in Canada since 2010 was exaggerated and said it would compensate current and former owners with debit cards for the additional amount they spent on gasoline.

Hyundai and Kia are facing a new lawsuit over inflated fuel economy claims.

This case, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, challenges the automakers’ plan to give owners of about 900,000 late-model vehicles special debit cards to make up for the autos not getting the fuel economy Hyundai and Kia claimed.

An Environmental Protection Agency investigation found that the automakers overstated fuel economy ratings for 13 models, including popular models such as the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Sorento.

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Hyundai Motor America and Kia Motors Corp. just two days after the Korean automakers admitted overstating the estimated fuel economy on the window stickers of a majority of 2012 and 2013 models.

Hyundai and Kia on Friday admitted overstating mileage on nearly 1.1 million vehicles in North America sold since 2010, including about 900,000 in the United States.

Apologizing for overstating the fuel economy on about 900,000 of the vehicles they sold in recent years, Hyundai and Kia will repay owners for the difference in gasoline costs.

Washington, DC -- Consumer Watchdog today praised the Environmental Protection Agency for auditing Hyundai and determining it overstated its sticker mileage estimates on various vehicles, including the Elantra.

The South Korean automaker on Friday admitted that nearly 1 million cars sold between 2010 and 2012 did not achieve the mileage claims made in advertisements.

The effort that ultimately resulted in admissions from Hyundai and Kia that they overstated mileage estimates all began with a consumer watchdog group in Santa Monica.

Jamie Court, of Consumer WatchDog, says his group heard complaints from consumers and grew skeptical of claims Hyundai made that its Elantra model was getting 40 miles per gallon.

Jamie Court appears on the Fox Business Network to discuss the reasons and purpose of Consumer Watchdog joining the class action lawsuit against Hyundai's deceptive advertising.

With gas mileage a much higher new-car purchase consideration these days, it isn’t surprising to see yet another lawsuit filed over purportedly misleading advertising on the part of car companies. A new lawsuit, according to an article by Reuters, is alleging that Hyundai misrepresented the mileage of its Elantra.