Hey. I just wanted to share this with you for discussion. I recently got a notice in the mail regarding a class action lawsuit for Honda vehicles regarding the odometer discrepency. Apparently the odometer adds 2-4% more mileage then actually driven, and someone finally said something. Apparently this will add miles to the warranty if won.

Now I have to say that I think this has existed since the beginning of cars, so although true, as a Honda owner I stay neutral, and really don't care, but at same time I can see why many do. I remember when I had my 04 RX8 with navigation and my 04 STI at same time, the GPS proved that my STI was way off, and I was adding about 2-3000 more per 100k miles on that car. It was definitely in favor of the car manufacturer. Just curious as to peoples thoughts and opinions on this subject. Feel free to type anything, as I won't get offended by any disagreement on my opinion.

 

Well with the STI's Nav and its GPS it gives you a estimate of were your at I wouldnt put money on it being pin point accurate. Though this class action lawsuit to me has some merit if Honda knew but did nothing to correct it. Imagine having a blown engine and your just outa warrenty but in reality with real world mileage your still in warrenty. Curious as to how this person figured this out though.

 

You didn't have stock tires on your STI, did you? I would imagine that a small change in tire diameter could have as much as a 2-3% difference. Even if the odometers is just off on a car I own I could really care less, I will probably never own a car long enough for it to really matter. And lets face it, the difference in resale of a car with a few thousand miles difference over another one is almost nonexistant. I guess the only time I'd be pissed in this scenario is if I was denied warranty work right after I went over the warranty mileage.

 

Indeed I did, this was conducted during summer when I used the stock rims and tires. My winter rims/tires, actually made it better. There are holes in this, and arguments to be made either way really. It didn't bother me, it was just something I happened to notice, beause the moment I traded in my 95 VW Golf for the STI, I noticed my identical trip to work was suddenly longer. I haven't paid any attention to my S2000 regarding this, and I am only going by my RX8 GPS. I just find this subject interesting.

 

Which Honda vehicles does this apply to? Is this only certain newer cars? How far back does it go? My 2000 Civic's speedometer reads low by a few mph. It has since day 1. If every manufacturer does this, I could believe it to be done as a safety feature to slow people down a bit.

 

Can we get a class action for Fart Can Proliferation?

 

It applys to all honda vehicles from 2004 to present, but it begins at 2004 because there is still a bumper to bumper left, and sometimes powertrain in many vehicles starting in 2004. Rootski: As stupid as this may sound to you, imagine having a warranty problem 2k miles after the warranty is up, and knowing that if the odometer was accurate to you'd be able to take it in and have it covered. Instead, you have to shell out thousands out of your own pocket.

This lawsuit does have some merit for the ever so slight chance that could happen. I'm sure since my Subaru was this way, that Honda is not the only company who has this discrepency. For me, I drive my S2000 minimally, so adding mileage to my warranty won't help, because I don't drive the car 12k miles per year to equal out the warranty time frame.

 

What next!..

As we know speedo and odometer readings are an indication only, they are not 100% accurate and no car ever has been, then add the wear scenario, tires for one..

Next thing you guys will be suing your weather forecaster's for the wrong daily temperatures..really this is bloody ridiculous..

 

I agree in many ways, but try and look at this from both sides. This must have started because someone had something major happen to their Honda, and they were just over the mileage. Then they find out the mileage is actually overstated, Honda says I'm sorry, but that still doesn't cover it, and this person does what you or any other of us would likely do.

Now be honest with me when you anwser this. If your engine blew 1200 miles over your warranty, and you then found out that your mileage was actually under coverage, yet the dealership refused warranty repair, costing you thousands out of your own pocket, would you be saying the same exact thing, and take it square in the behind and shell out the thousands willingly and without being upset, or would you do what this person did? Be honest now.

 

This is just gonna add another warning label each car.

 

Of course I would be upset, but, not knowing ALL the cars history and facts we can only speculate, when at Mazda in many cases if owners were just outside their mileage but within warranty time, the dealer would do the job and "alter" on the warranty claim the cars milage...no great revelation here, but once the time has expired, that is a lot harder almost impossible to change..obviously, but most if not ALL car manufacturers have "Goodwill" and if this person had not yelled Lawsuit then perhaps Honda may have come to an arrangement particularly if the car was within its warranty time period.

When a threat is made to anyone or company you tend to distance yourself from them.

...I think many owners manuals do say the speedometer/odometer readings are an indication only...

 

Maybe so, but any company will gain marks for showing it cares about its customers. Why can't there be a +/- % around the warranty mileage to remove such gray area issues?

This is probably one aspect that seperates mainstream brands from the upscale brands. All IMO ofcourse.

 

^^ Yes, I don't disagree, That's why here with Mazda dealers and I am positive in the US if you have a good relationship with your service department (and don't do what I mentioned ^^), service your car regularly then from my experience and opinion they have more goodwill than you can imagine, after all Mazda and that dealer would like you to return and perhaps buy another car from them.
If the dealer has ANY credibility they wont like to alienate you, be unreasonable and visa versa.

On the flip side you also get many owners who hardly drive their cars (very low mileage) but run out of warranty time?...is that also the dealers or manufacturers fault if something goes wrong.?

Edit..
Just to add, do we know if this Honda owner ever had their car regularly serviced by an authorized dealer, did it ever have filters or engine oil renewed in its life?
At a guess, was the car used or abused at tracks?,in a front end collision, dealer may have witnessed extremely low engine oil?, the radiator may have had a hole in it at some stage from road stones...engine cooked?

 

I'm sure my odometer isn't accurate... wheelspin ftw! (mazda of north america: just kidding!)

 

i work at a honda service dept. warranty is 3yrs or 36000 miles. i did have a few cars come in after 3yrs and 36000 miles with a problem. as long as we determine that something failed prematurely and its not a wearable item, we sometimes do a good will warranty. it really depends from dealer to dealer. as for the milage being off i have not seen any bulletins pertaining. whaT car is it on?

 

Well that's one way to get better gas milage. Odometer off by 4 %, now why didn't Mazda think of that?

 

We have a TL, and we got a thing in the mail saying there was a class action settlement for them to extend the warranty by a small amount, i forget exactly how much. I stuffed it in with my owners manual, warranty book, etc. The notice of the settlement was the first i had heard of it.

 

Off topic, but I also got a notice, however it was for my Honda Element's windshield . Apparently the windshields suffer from stress factures. It happened to mine

 

element windshields, i do see lots of those. the angle of the elements windshield is too straight, up and down.