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Is your odometer costing you money?
As bizarre as that question may seem, a recent lawsuit settlement has revealed that all odometers are not created
equal. Some may cause you to lose your factory or extended warranty sooner than necessary.
The lawsuit involves a lawyer from Arkansas. In 2004, he noticed that the miles seemed to be clicking by faster
than normal on his Honda Odyssey minivan.
The lawyer checked the odometer against some measured mileposts along the highway and found that the odometer was
off by at least 5 percent.
He checked on some automotive message boards and found that other Honda owners had a similar complaint.
While it might not seem like a big
deal, consider this: You have a 36,000-mile comprehensive
warranty, and something that normally would be
covered might go bad at 37,000 miles.
If your odometer is off 5 percent or more, you could
actually be within the warranty period even if
the odometer indicates otherwise. A manufacturer
could take a hard-line approach and not cover
the repair.
For warranties that extend to 100,000 miles, the mileage difference becomes more significant, as does the likelihood
of an expensive repair.
The discovery about Honda odometers resulted in a
class-action lawsuit that was settled last December.
Honda admitted no wrongdoing, but agreed to lengthen
its mileage warranties 5 percent for 2002 to 2006
Hondas and Acuras, and 2007 Honda Fit models.
Honda says the issue has been corrected in all
newer models.
The lawyers who brought the class-action
suit say they are looking at a similar case against
Nissan, as well as other manufacturers. Honda
and Acura owners who want more information on
the settlement can go to odosettlementinfo.com
or hondaodometerclassaction.com.
Drivers curious about whether their
vehicles are accurately calculating miles traveled
should find a stretch of highway where the state
or federal government has installed mile markers,
which often are posted every tenth of a mile,
and compare what their odometer says to the measured
course.
Drivers who discover their odometer
is off by 5 percent or more should bring it to
the attention of the dealer's service department
to see if the odometer can be adjusted -- most
are computer-controlled. If the dealer can't or
won't fix it, write the dealer and the manufacturer
to point out the problem and how it may negatively
affect your warranty.
Such documentation may help if you have to file a warranty claim when the vehicle is just a few miles over the
limit.
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