Suit Says Hyundai Inflated 40 Mpg Claim

A California lawsuit says Hyundai’s Elantra vehicle doesn’t get the advertised 40 miles per gallon.

Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog joined Elantra buyer Louis Bird in the Sacramento lawsuit claiming Hyundai Motor America aggressively pitches its “40 mile per gallon Elantra” in advertisements without a government-mandated disclosure that the estimate is for highway driving only.

The Los Angeles Times reported Bird bought his Elantra last year and he’s kept a mileage log showing barely 29 miles per gallon.

Hyundai defends the 40 mpg estimate, saying it was certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, asks for unspecified damages on behalf of California residents who bought or leased 2010 and 2011 Elantras.