TORRANCE, Calif., Feb. 19 Honda Motor Co. is notifying U.S. Honda and Acura owners they could get warranty extensions because their cars' odometers rolled up miles too fast.
Lease customers may also be entitled to payments because the fast odometer readings -- as much as 3 3/4 miles for every 100 miles driven -- may have hit some lease customers with excessive-mileage penalties, the automaker said.
A lawyer in the lawsuit that resulted in Honda's decision now is aiming at Nissan Motor Co, alleging its Altima sedans back to 2002 roll up miles 2.5 percent to 3 percent too fast, USA Today reported.
Nissan has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
As for other major models, lawyer James Holmes of Henderson, Texas, said he tested Toyota cars and found they actually routinely register slightly fewer miles than actually driven. Detroit brands by and large are perfect, he told USA Today. Holmes told the newspaper he suspects automakers deliberately set odometers fast to help automakers cut warranty costs. But automakers say they are within the industry wide tolerance level. The Society of Automotive Engineers ' voluntary standard is plus or minus 4 percent, or no more than 4 miles high or low in every 100 miles.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
