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

 

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
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html.

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 showing. As
an aside, this is a replacement unit, because my first one blew (quit)
during the warranty period.

 

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

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

"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.

 

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

 

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

Mike

 

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

 

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.

 

Thanks for the info!

Mike

 

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.

 

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

 

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

makes no sense.

 

Well, enjoy the 5% warranty boost.

 

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.

 

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.