March 30, 2008[/align] NYT Motoring_[/align] Not All Odometers Are Created Equal By SCOTT STURGIS_[/align] AS researchers who test the accuracy of odometers know, your mileage may vary, and when it comes to a car’s warranty, that could cost an owner money. An odometer that piles up mileage faster than it should will push a car out of warranty quicker than an odometer that is calibrated correctly. That is what was happening to many Hondas and Acuras until the problem was noticed by a lawyer in Arkansas, who, along with several other lawyers, filed a lawsuit against Honda in 2004. A final settlement was approved last December, but the deadline for owners to file a claim is approaching: June 26. Now, the lawyers who sued Honda are going after Nissan, claiming that odometers in 2004 and newer Nissans and Infinitis are running fast. Steve Parrett, a spokesman with Nissan North America, said the lawsuit was without merit. “These lawsuits are based on nothing more than the variation inherent with any form of measurement,” he said. In the Honda case, the class-action suit claimed that the odometers on some Acuras and Hondas were overstating the mileage. In the settlement approved by the United States Court for the Eastern District of Texas last December, Honda agreed to extend the mileage limits on warranties by 5 percent. So a 36,000-mile warranty, for example, will expire at 37,800 miles and a 100,000-mile extended warranty will last until 105,000 miles. The change is limited to 2002-6 model Hondas and Acuras and 2007 Honda Fits bought from April 13, 2002, to Nov. 7, 2006 — a total of about six million vehicles, Honda said. Honda admitted no wrongdoing in the case. Chris Martin, a company spokesman, said that in making the decision Honda balanced winning the case against the negative attention and customer ill-will that might have resulted. He said that the company’s odometer specifications for the vehicles in the settlement were within industry standards, but “Honda determined that its internal standard did not match current customer expectations.” James A. Holmes of Henderson, Tex., the lead lawyer for the plaintiffs, said the case began when another lawyer, Jay Kutchka of Jones, Jackson & Moll in Fort Smith, Ark., noticed that the odometer in his Honda Odyssey didn’t seem accurate. He compared it against mileposts, and when he visited Internet message boards and owners’ forums, he discovered that the problem appeared to be widespread. The lawyers David B. Miller of Addison, Tex., and Stephen Woodfin of Kilgore, Tex., also participated in the lawsuit, which was filed in 2004. The suit covers only 2002-6 vehicles and 2007 Fits because Honda changed the way it made the odometers, Mr. Holmes said. “I do think it’s to Honda’s credit that they did the right thing,” Mr. Holmes said. “They’ve done everything they said they would do; they’ve done everything when they said they would do it.” The company hasn’t set aside a specific amount to pay claims in the settlement, Mr. Martin said, although he said he did not think the amount would be large. He said Honda generally helped customers pay for repairs anyway when they were close to the end of the warranty. Mr. Holmes said the settlement was valued at $244 million. He and the other lawyers who filed the case received almost $10 million in fees. David Champion, senior director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, said Honda was right to settle. “Five percent — I think it’s good that Honda stepped up to it,” Mr. Champion said. “If you have a 40,000-mile warranty, that’s an extra 2,000 miles.” He said Honda generally stands behind its products and often helps customers who have had a problem just outside the warranty period. “They are one of the most reliable automakers,” Mr. Champion said. “The chance of needing a repair for a Honda or Acura is relatively small. So I presume they have a greater leeway to be a little more generous.” Leslie Raborn of McDonough, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta, recently received a check for a little more than $1,000 as part of the settlement. Ms. Raborn said she did get help from Honda when her Accord’s transmission failed at 102,000 miles. She bought the Honda used in 2004 and bought an extended warranty that expired at 100,000 miles. “I took it to the Honda dealership,” Ms. Raborn said. “They were a little lenient with me. They agreed to the work at a discounted rate of $1,000, but I wasn’t satisfied with that.” Ms. Raborn said the dealership alerted her to the settlement, so she contacted Honda and Mr. Holmes. She received the rest of the money. Mr. Holmes said he was looking into lawsuits against other manufacturers, but wouldn’t discuss the matter further. Mr. Champion of Consumer Reports said his magazine calibrated the speedometers of its test vehicles, and he presumed that the odometer calibrations would be similar in terms of accuracy. “We generally see domestic manufacturers pretty well smack on, the Asians are a little optimistic and the German manufacturers have got the biggest discrepancy in terms of m.p.h.,” Mr. Champion said. The settlement means some owners who had repairs done to their vehicles just outside the warranty period may be eligible for reimbursement. People who lease their cars will get a 5 percent increase on their lease’s mileage allowance. Lessees who returned their cars and paid excess mileage charges may receive a full or partial refund. The vehicles also have several extended warranties for components, including transmissions, and the mileage portion of those warranties has also been extended by 5 percent. Customers who think they may have a claim against Honda can visit www.odosettlementinfo.com or hondaodometerclassaction.com for more information.

 

Honda wants to be on the same track as Toyota. Not good

But I'd still buy one