# Speedometer /odometer not accurate **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [December 31, 2007, 11:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893 "2007-12-31T23:57:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DDEFAZIO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@DDEFAZIO](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DDEFAZIO)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2007, 11:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/1 "2007-12-31T23:57:02Z")
I PURCHAESD A NEW 07 TOYOTA TACOMA VEHICLE IS TOTALLY STOCK INCLUDING TIRES AND WHEELS,HOWEVER THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER IS OFF BY 9 % [IT READS FAST] AT FREEWAY SPEEDS 65 MPH WHICH MEANS FOR EVERY 91 MILES I DRIVE ODOMETER REGISTERS 100 MILES. ANY OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS NOTICE THIS PROBLEM? ---
**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 12:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/2 "2008-01-01T00:39:07Z")
An error of 9% is too much, bring it back to the dealer and have them correct it. It’s not unusual to have an error of a couple of percent. ---
**Author:** ![DDEFAZIO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@DDEFAZIO](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DDEFAZIO)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/3 "2008-01-01T00:45:39Z")
IVE BEEN TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS THEY SAY SPEEDO IS[WORKING AS DESIGNED] THEY DONT SAY ITS ACCURATE.I AGREE 9% IS NOT EVEN CLOSE ---
**Author:** ![bwcarter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@bwcarter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bwcarter)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/4 "2008-01-01T00:54:01Z")
I believe there was something on the news a few months ago about a lawyer that filed suit against toyota for the speedometer being off by so much. ---
**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/5 "2008-01-01T01:01:22Z")
I would keep complaining to the dealer and toyota until they fix it. ---
**Author:** ![DDEFAZIO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@DDEFAZIO](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DDEFAZIO)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/6 "2008-01-01T01:16:24Z")
I HAVE NOT HEARD OF A LAWSUIT BUT IM THINKING MY VEHICLE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE LIKE THIS .MOST PEOPLE DONT NOTICE . I CHECKED MINE WITH G. P. S. AND THEN TO SPEEDOMETER REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY CERTIFY SPEEDOMETERS.THE GUY AT SPEEDO SHOP TOLD ME A LOT OF NEW VEHICLES ARE LIKE THIS HE MENTIONED HONDA AS ONE OF THEM. I THINK THEY ARE DOING IT SO YOUR WARRANTY EXPIRES BEFORE IT SHOULD 36000 MILES MINUS 9% =32760 MILES ---
**Author:** ![bwcarter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@bwcarter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bwcarter)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/7 "2008-01-01T02:41:01Z")
Exactly. That’s what the lawsuit was about. ---
**Author:** ![Kendahl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Kendahl](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Kendahl)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/8 "2008-01-01T03:38:48Z")
It’s quite possible for a speedometer to be wrong by several percent. However, that’s not acceptable on a new vehicle which is under warranty. Toyota should fix it for free. The odometer is much more likely to be correct. I assume you have compared the odometer to highway mileposts on a reasonably long drive. If you go 91 miles according to the mileposts and the odometer shows 100 miles, there is a big problem. I don’t know if the odometer is driven mechanically or by computer software. For purely mechanical odometers, the only sources of error are the differential gear ratio and tire size. If a computer program is involved, it could be a programming error such as the wrong conversion factor between input pulses and miles. ---
**Author:** ![DDEFAZIO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@DDEFAZIO](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DDEFAZIO)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 4:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/9 "2008-01-01T04:50:36Z")
THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT IS WHEEL SPEED SENSORS THE SAME SENSORS USED FOR A.B.S BRAKE SYSTEM SEND INFO TO COMPUTER WHICH IS THEN SENT TO SPEEDO AND ODOMETER. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 10:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/10 "2008-01-01T10:49:32Z")
[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/13/earlyshow/main2562144.shtml?source=RSS&attr=\_2562144](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/13/earlyshow/main2562144.shtml?source=RSS&attr=_2562144) One lawsuit on odometer error and warranty coverage. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 10:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/11 "2008-01-01T10:51:56Z")
It is normal for the speedometer to be optimistic by about 5%. However the odometer should be very close. There will be some change as the tyres wear, but it should be a whole lot closer than you indicate. That should be corrected under the warranty. ---
**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/12 "2008-01-01T14:56:34Z")
I wouldn’t call that “normal” but many do read high (until you have them properly calibrated). I might live with 2%, not 5% or greater. ---
**Author:** ![DDEFAZIO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@DDEFAZIO](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DDEFAZIO)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/13 "2008-01-01T18:40:12Z")
THANKYOU JOSEPH MEEHAN FOR THAT LINK THAT IS A VERY INTERESTING STORY ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/14 "2008-01-01T20:13:48Z")
I had a brand new 84 Mazda which was off by 5.5%. I pushed the issue all the way up to the US Mazda technical support offices. Their official statement was that any tolerance within +/- 7% was “normal and acceptable”. I wasn’t happy, but it was clear they weren’t going to do anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![DDEFAZIO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@DDEFAZIO](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DDEFAZIO)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-odometer-not-accurate/8893/15 "2008-01-03T01:00:48Z")
JOE MARIO CLICK ON THE LINK THAT JOSEPH MEEHAN PUT IN HIS COMMENT I THINK YOU WILL FIND ARTICLE VERY INTERESTING I HAVE ALREADY MADE CONTACT WITH ATTORNEY THEY REFER TO IN ARTICLE