Faulty odometers racking up extra mileage!
- Thread starter wagsg
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I bought a used car awile back, and there was a box like this
"Dealer thinks that the odometer is truse yes[] no[x]"
I guess someone tampered with it.
"Dealer thinks that the odometer is truse yes[] no[x]"
I guess someone tampered with it.
BTW... this involves class action suits against Honda and Nissan for some of their new vehicles.
Sorry, I ended up in the wrong forum after signing in and didn't realize it.
MOD's, could you please move to Auto General topic
MOD's, could you please move to Auto General topic
I think this has been going on for a long time.
I just bought a high mileage car and my trip to work got extended by 1.2 miles over my other 2 cars. It's on stock recomended tires, so I'm not sure what the problem is. I don't care much because it's the daily driver, but it's pretty funny.
I can see how new car buyers are getting hosed big time.
I just bought a high mileage car and my trip to work got extended by 1.2 miles over my other 2 cars. It's on stock recomended tires, so I'm not sure what the problem is. I don't care much because it's the daily driver, but it's pretty funny.
I can see how new car buyers are getting hosed big time.
They are talking about a 2% error. This is nothing new and doesn't qualify as "being hosed big time". Automotive speedometers and odometers are not laboratory grade accuracy devices. Generally speedometers are calibrated to have any errors slightly on the high side, indicated a marginally higher speed than the vehicle is actually travelling. This has been standard practice for many decades. Usually the calibration offset effects the odometer as well. Imagine how many people would be suing if they got speeding tickets when their speedometer said they were at the limit or close to it but their real speed was a few MPH higher.
This does, perhaps, answer the puzzling question of why the mileage reading on the trip computer in our Honda's Navigation system reads slightly lower numbers than the trip odometer. Perhaps the GPS system is doing it's calculation off real location information derived from the satellite while the regular odometer relies on counting rotations of the tires in some way.
Honda recently sent us a notice of settlement of a lawsuit saying that all warranties, lease terms, etc. were being automatically extended by 5% for the mileage to compensate for this issue.
I highly doubt that Honda is the only company with this so called problem. A tempest in a teapot I think.
This does, perhaps, answer the puzzling question of why the mileage reading on the trip computer in our Honda's Navigation system reads slightly lower numbers than the trip odometer. Perhaps the GPS system is doing it's calculation off real location information derived from the satellite while the regular odometer relies on counting rotations of the tires in some way.
Honda recently sent us a notice of settlement of a lawsuit saying that all warranties, lease terms, etc. were being automatically extended by 5% for the mileage to compensate for this issue.
I highly doubt that Honda is the only company with this so called problem. A tempest in a teapot I think.
From other reading (I don't remember where, perhaps Auto News or the Los Angeles Times), I read that the testing those two were doing uncovered that Honda in particular set there spec to be within two percent, but that they didn't center the two percent around the true actual. They engineered it to be at 0 or two percent high.
All of the domestic auto makers used the same range, but centered on 0, so their average was colse to 0.
I would say that Honda cheated, and got caught.
All of the domestic auto makers used the same range, but centered on 0, so their average was colse to 0.
I would say that Honda cheated, and got caught.
Hmmm I'll have to check our Honda Element's odometer.
You guys think cars are BAD check with most if not all motorcycles!! I don't think the manufacturer of motorcycles know what a "TRUE" odometer reading is!!!!
Kestas
Staff member
SAE standards require odomaters & speedometers to be within +3%/-1% accuracy. Honda is within this requirement.
Now whether they are able to build precise gauging into their vehicles and are wantonly aiming for faster miles for gain (warranty and lease) is a different matter. It looks like Honda is pushing it. I'm glad to see SAE is involved in this matter. The standards may be rewritten to remove the unfair gain Honda is (legally) taking advantage of. Whether Honda and Nissan people are on that particular committee will also have a factor. These committees can get very political and sometimes they come up with nonsense.
Now whether they are able to build precise gauging into their vehicles and are wantonly aiming for faster miles for gain (warranty and lease) is a different matter. It looks like Honda is pushing it. I'm glad to see SAE is involved in this matter. The standards may be rewritten to remove the unfair gain Honda is (legally) taking advantage of. Whether Honda and Nissan people are on that particular committee will also have a factor. These committees can get very political and sometimes they come up with nonsense.
Seriously? We're sweating 2% here? Over 300k this only amounts to 6k! Say a typical powertrain coverage period of 60k, it is only a 1.2k difference.
IMHO, those people mentioned in the news article are looking more to extract money from the auto companies than anything! I honestly have better things to worry about than this. Besides, as Kestas mentioned, this is within the SAE standards.
IMHO, those people mentioned in the news article are looking more to extract money from the auto companies than anything! I honestly have better things to worry about than this. Besides, as Kestas mentioned, this is within the SAE standards.
My 2006 speedo is dead-on compared to my GPS. Odo is not yet tested.
Acura
Kestas
Staff member
On the other hand, how many miles are you entitled to on a 2-yr lease?... 30K? (I don't know, I don't lease cars). Over that period, you'd be cheated out of 600 miles. How much does the leasor charge for excess miles?
To the ones who think this is no big deal. You had better pay more attention! This is just another way of HOSING people. In a company vehicle it is 620 miles from point A to point B. In a RYDER RENTAL, exact same route, it is 660 miles? Coffee used to come in 1 pound containers, now it is 13 ozs. Ice cream used to be a half gallon, now its 1.75 L. Mis-calibrated odometers are just another tool to give you LESS (shorter warranty) for the same price. I'm sure if you made a list there are hundreds more examples of the little guy just rolling over and taking it again. I thought we had a GUV'MNT in place to proteect us from these clowns? We have computer controlled engines but we can't quite get the odometer thing accurate, yeah... RIGHT!!
Here in West Texas the land is really flat. Here's how I check my speedometer for accuracy. Set your cruise control at exactly 60 mph. using a stop watch, start it when the trip odometer clicks over to show --.0 miles. Drive for 20 miles. It should take exactly 20 minutes. anything other than that there is an error.
You can figure the error out by using seconds over or under 20 minutes by using 88 feet per second at 60 mph. ie 20 seconds off = 1760 feet. this is .33 miles in error in 20 miles or .1666 per mile.
There are some possible minor varibles in this. But it should be enough to see is you have a gross error.
You can figure the error out by using seconds over or under 20 minutes by using 88 feet per second at 60 mph. ie 20 seconds off = 1760 feet. this is .33 miles in error in 20 miles or .1666 per mile.
There are some possible minor varibles in this. But it should be enough to see is you have a gross error.
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