Another Case Of Big Business Sticking It To The Little Guy.

[banginAltima]

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Savin...rsOdometer.aspx

Ripped off by your car's odometer?

Faulty mileage readings like those found in some Hondas might cost you big bucks if your vehicle warranty expires prematurely. To protect yourself, run a check.

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 you should.

The lawsuit involves a lawyer from Arkansas. In 2004, he noticed the miles seemed to be clicking by faster than normal on his Honda Odyssey minivan.

The lawyer checked the odometer against some mileposts along the highway and found the odometer was off by at least 5%. He checked on some automotive message boards and found that other Honda owners had similar complaints.

Though 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 goes bad at 37,000 miles.

If your odometer is off by 5% 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 in December. Honda admitted no wrongdoing but agreed to lengthen its mileage warranties by 5% for 2002 to 2006 Hondas and Acuras, and for 2007 Honda Fit models. Honda says the issue has been corrected in all newer models.

Lawyers who brought the class-action suit now say they are looking at a similar case against Nissan, as well as other manufacturers.

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 and compare what their odometers say versus the measured course.

A motorist who discovers an odometer that's off by 5% or more should bring it to the attention of a dealer's service department to see whether 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.

This article was reported and written by Terry Jackson for Bankrate.com.

Published July 24, 2008

[Bass4Lyfe]

shiiiiiiiiit thats shadyyy

wonder if they knew about it when making those cars

[Big P]

yes they new. I was at a seminar in vegas were they talked about that. Japan made the U.S. come up with a allowable % for the odominter to be off.