Jan 17 (Reuters) - Honda's ( HMC ) U.S. financing arm

was ordered on Friday by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection

Bureau to pay $12.8 million for reporting inaccurate information

that affected the credit reports of 300,000 drivers of Honda ( HMC ) and

Acura vehicles.

The CFPB said American Honda Finance deferred some drivers'

loan payments during the COVID-19 pandemic, only to then tell

credit reporting agencies that the drivers were delinquent when

they should have been reported as current.

"False accusations on a credit report can have serious

implications for Americans seeking a job, housing or a loan,"

CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a statement faulting the

financing arm's "sloppy practices."

The $12.8 million payment includes a $2.5 million civil fine

and $10.3 million in restitution to drivers.