Odometer Class Action Suit?

I just received paperwork from the feds concerning a suit that will acheive Class Action status on Accord odometers. Of all cars, our '05 Accord is the most accurate! I do, however, have a different car that has a similar 3-4% error on the speedometer & odometer. So, now I'm wondering how common a problem is this? If I switch tire sizes, it all goes out the window, anyway.

Anyone else question their odometer?

Bill Radio

Reply to
Bill Radio
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Sure. The odometer on my '88 Civic is about 2-3% off. For what it's worth, slight errors can be adjusted for by switching to different tires. Try experimenting with a tire size calculator such as

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Eric

Reply to
Eric

I've noticed when I pass through the school or police van radars my

2000 Ody shows about 2-3 mph below what my speedometer is show>I just received paperwork from the feds concerning a suit that will acheive
Reply to
stilllost

Interestingly, that's what I've seen in all the modern cars and trucks I've driven the last few years. 2 mph conservative at low speeds, 3 (sometimes 4) mph at highway speeds.

Mike

Reply to
Michael Pardee

Comparing my 2001 Accord to GPS, the speedometer is dead on. Reads about 1 mph fast at all speeds.

Reply to
Flatlander47

I've questioned the speedometer on my 2004 Accord as being a little optimistic, reading 65mph when others are passing me in the presence of Highway Patrol car! And, um, I forget what else triggered suspicion, but I estimated at least 2-3mph discrepancy.

However, if anything, I suspected the odometer of being a tad pessimistic, reading shorter than actual distances, maybe a couple of percent in the other direction.

So the combination means I look at the speedometer, estimate my time of arrival, and can't understand why I'm late.

J.

Reply to
JXStern

For decades, manufacturers have intentionally aimed for calibration which was as much as 10% above reality. There are a number of advantages to this - the owner thinks he is getting better gas mileage, the car is lasting longer, maintenance intervals come sooner and replacement of the vehicle will come earlier if the decision is based on the odometer. That said, it seems like the odometers have become more accurate over the last 10 - 15 years.

As you point out, tire size can throw off the odometer no matter how well it was calibrated. Even tire wear and inflation will have minor effects. Also, different brands/models of tires can vary slightly in size, even if they have the same size designation. Add in a reasonable production tolerance and a desire to error on the high side and you can have perhaps a +4% error even though the manufacturer made a good faith effort to deliver an accurate instrument.

That said, if the manufacturer can be shown to have intentionally delivered a significantly miscalibrated odometer, it might be cause for legal action to recover loses associated with excess vehicle depreciation. To win this, I think they should have to show that the manufacturer in question was significantly worse than comparable cars in this regard since the value of a used vehicle is compared to others on the market. The manufacturer could argue that the odometer measures "odometer miles" which are comparable with other used vehicles within the make if not between makes. He could even argue that, if his make is worse than other in this regard, that the over-optimistic odometer reading has given his brand a reputation for quality that compensates for the excess mileage.

Do the papers provided by the court mention any specific level of inaccuracy? If they can't show that the cars average at least +4% with original tires, the case is bogus IMO.

Reply to
Gordon McGrew

On several long trips I have had a go at calibrating my speedometer. The accuracy of my calculation is 100% dependent on the assumption that the odometer is reading correctly. I set the cruise control to hold several speeds, usually 60, 65, 70 and 80 mph and then record the miles traveled over a 3 minute time period. The results were relatively consistent--the speedometer reading was always higher than the calculated number and it was a combination of a percentage of the speed plus a fixed value. The error was

4% of the speedometer reading plus 2. So when set to 80, calculated was 75; 70 vs 65, 65 vs 60, 60 vs 61 . Not too sure just how accurate this is but I do know that when I was moving at the 70 mph (65 speed limit) I always seemed to be the slowest one on the road. MLD
Reply to
MLD

"JXStern"

My 2004 Accord is dead on. I've tested it several times and at various speeds using a handheld GPS. I've also tested it against the traffic signboards that tell you your speed as you approach it. Under all curcumstances, the readings match up. I can't say the same for the three Civics I owned previously.

Reply to
Howard Lester

The best way to check is to use the mile markers on the interstate highways.

Reply to
Gordon McGrew

I'm so used to the markers here in Arizona I forget not all states have them. I know California doesn't.

Mike

Reply to
Michael Pardee

Yes California does! Take a look at those little white rectangular paddles along to side of the road. The Large numbers on them are post-miles. Also at certain markers that end in ##.00 there will be a large white mark in the middle of the sideline stripe. These may be 5 miles apart or less. This is so that the CHP can clock your speed from the air.

Randy

Reply to
Randy

I was surprised at the accuracy on the speedo on my 06 Civic Si. When I pass through the police radar truck areas, I have never been more than 1 MPH off, at any speed range.

In all of my past vehicles, they would be off by 1-2 at 30, and 3-4 at 60.

Reply to
Joe LaVigne

Thanks for the info!

Mike

Reply to
Michael Pardee

i can't understand why anyone would launch a lawsuit on this in the first place, let alone one that complains about where cars are /accurate/. i say this is an anti-import troll.

Reply to
jim beam

An inaccurate reading odometer can affect your mileage warranty by reporting higher mileage than is accurately on the car.

Reply to
DodgeDriver

  1. there are legal limits on inaccuracy.
  2. this car is allegedly /too/ accurate.

makes no sense.

Reply to
jim beam

"Bill Radio" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

Well, enjoy the 5% warranty boost.

Reply to
Nobody

Apparently very common.

Many years ago, when I first got a handheld GPS, I tested it against my

92 Civic--and found that the Civic's speedometer was showing 5mph fast, no matter what.

Fast forward to today. I'm driving my mother's 94 Civic home to sell it; interestingly enough, I'm driving in exactly the same place I drove years ago when I tested my 92...and the GPS shows that my mother's 94 behaves exactly the same way as my 92 did.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

it's the way of the world. speedos are required to be within 10%. almost everyone opts for the "fast" solution, some more so than others. [bmw and ford really push the bleeding edge, especially over 70 where there is no legal accuracy requirement.]

the reasoning is quite simple. customers want their car to be "fast". [faster 0-60, bmw drivers bowling along at what they think is 85...] cops want cars to be "slow". everybody's happy. it makes no difference to fuel economy. it stops you getting tickets. i see no problem.

Reply to
jim beam

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