Is your Yaris Speedo out too?

[Blades]

Hey Guys,

I'm only new to this forum, but wanted to check with other owners of the Toyota Yaris to see if a problem I've encountered is more widespread.

I purchased a 5 door YR in late Oct 06 and being a PI, I always have a GPS unit in the car. I noticed that at 60km/hr, the GPS said I was only doing 54km/kr?! At first I thought maybe my GPS was out, so didn't think much of it.

I found that when I was doing 110km/hr, the GPS said I was only doing 101km/hr? I then went through a Speed Check point and it clocked me at exactly the GPS speed, not the speedo speed!!?? After doing some hunting around the web, I found there are other Yaris owners that are experiencing the exact same problem.

On a trip to Sydney, I stayed at an Uncles house, who had the same model (but only the 3 door version) and I had my GPS with me. So I tested his car, and it had the exact same problem! After speaking to several people online, it would appear that this 'problem' affects alot of vehicles if not all the Yaris (this I don't know for sure, hence the reason I'm asking here).

I spoke to the Service guys at my local Toyota Dealership where I purchased the vehicle, and they informed me that Toyota know of this difference in speed reading. Further investigation with Toyota showed they know of it, but as it falls within guidelines, they are not willing to do anything about it.

As an owner of a brand new vehicle, I was very disappointed with Toyota's stance. To think I travel down the highway at 119km/hr just to be on the speed limit. Alternatively I could travel at the speedo reading of 110km/hr, but we all know how annoying slow drivers are on highways that travel at 10km under the limit.

I have put together a website detailing my experience thus far : http://www.yaris-speedo.com

Also another Yaris customer has a site : http://www.ripoff.com.au

I would be very interested in hearing from other owners who have checked this on their vehicle. If you haven't checked it, do not assume your speedo is correct, as according to all the information I've come across, chances are yours is out too.

My advice to people considering purchasing a Yaris: Double check the speedo!! Are you happy to drive a vehicle whose speedo is out almost 10km/hr?? Don't trust the sales rep, check it yourself!! I regret my purchase :(

Edited April 17, 2007 by Blades

[theDefiant1]

I have the same issue with my Echo, which has resulted in many interesting conversations with law-enforcement officers.

"Do you know how fast you were going, sir?"

"No, actually. Ask Toyota for me please."

Truth be told, I have never been officially booked for speeding in the Echo, but I do find that anomaly annoying. I know that Jaycar sell a kit that can fix this problem.

[dimsim8]

in last month's motoring mag, where they test the three cheap hatches, they say that the Yaris's speedo is way off. like when the speedo say the car is doing 100Km/h, its actually doing 94Km/hr

i have 2 yaris hatch as company car, and the speedo is also way off the actually speed. (this is tested by driving another car doing 60km/hr)

[Blades]

So do you guys find it annoying as hell?

I'm constantly reading my GPS to get my speed. You would think that Toyota would be able to produce a better product?!

RE: Jaycar fix - Hey theDefiant1, can you tell me more about this fix?

Also dimsim8, was that article in the NRMA mag or another motoring one?

Would love to hear from others regarding their experience and if they have complained to Toyota regarding this issue.

Edited April 17, 2007 by Blades

[Saiya]

Did you speak to Toyota about rectifying this issue? Be interesting to see if they do anything at all about this.

[MR22ZZ]

get some bigger rims :P

[Blades]

Did you speak to Toyota about rectifying this issue? Be interesting to see if they do anything at all about this.

Sure did, called their customer service and was told that Toyota was 'looking into it'. Apparently they have been 'looking into it' since early last year. I received an email from another owner, who had received an email from Toyota stating they would not be doing anything regarding the issue.

Blue - we've considered bigger tyres, but then that puts your odometer out, and Toyota said they would not support this.

Edited April 18, 2007 by Blades

[eggbert_99]

This is supposedly affecting the YR models ..

go to ozecho.com for more info ..

also ..

There is a link to a guy who wrote about his experience with Toyota and this issue.

I cant find it for the life of me .. but it should be on ozecho somewhere

[theDefiant1]

Speedo corrector kit from Jaycar (www.jaycar.com.au)

Search word = 'speedo'

Speedo Corrector MKII $50.

Kit number KC5435

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?I...=&SUBCATID=

[dimsim8]

it was in the wheels road tests annual mag, they actually claimed that speed at indicated 100Km/h is 92Km/h, not 94

[neK]

meh! Most cars have this problem i believe.

Some worse than others.

The honda accord euro is similar to yaris in the sense that its about 10km under.

I just compensate by driving faster :D

If the speedo thing annoys you that much just get bigger rims or high profile tyres :)

That way you exceed the minimum requirements and get a more accurate reading. :P

[YAR15]

Im not starting on anyone here but stuff what the speedo says. So yeah maybe its way off, then speed up. Im sorry if I dont understand why you might be upset but all cars have similar problems. They might not be 10km/h off but 5 or 3.

Some car magazines have specs of the difference in actual speed compared to the indicated speed in the vehicle so tts not only Toyota. Try and view it as a safety factor given by Mechanical Designers.

[theDefiant1]

Out of all the cars I have physically, I rate the Echo Sportivo as the best bang for the buck.

Running around complaining of a speedo that is out by a certain amount presents its own solution - if you know how much it is out by, then you can compensate accordingly. This is made easier with the fact that the speedo is digital, so you can be precise. Maybe that's why Echo/Yaris owners notice it prominently. An analogue reading is sometimes more difficult to judge visually, which is perhaps why there are fewer complaints.

It also seems as though those with GPS devices are more sensitive to the differences. Solution presented - use what the GPS device tells you your speed is - though the reliability of GPS devices is sometimes dodgy (hey Big Pete :P )

I guess Toyota saves money on its cheaper cars by *just* staying within the set limits with speedos. Like with any car, if you want precise performance, you have to take the car to get tuned. No reasons why this cannot be done by a tuning specialist. Toyota may not offer this service due to their 'regulations' and what they consider 'reasonable'.

Enough preaching. More driving.

[Blades]

Im not starting on anyone here but stuff what the speedo says. So yeah maybe its way off, then speed up. Im sorry if I dont understand why you might be upset but all cars have similar problems. They might not be 10km/h off but 5 or 3.

Some car magazines have specs of the difference in actual speed compared to the indicated speed in the vehicle so tts not only Toyota. Try and view it as a safety factor given by Mechanical Designers.

Are you serious?! You're happy to spend $20k+ to buy a vehicle with a speedo out that much? If I had my time again with the knowledge I have now, I would have gone another vehicle. Based on all the emails I've received from my web site, most buyers are not happy with that difference, and hence are looking at alternate vehicles.

Yeah, if it was 3 or 5 km out, then I probably wouldn't mind, but nearly 10 is ridiculous!

I do speed up, but then you need to make a constant 7.5-9% calculation on your speedo, otherwise you get to cop a nice fine (which I've already received one )

theDefiant1 - yeah I agree, great bang for your buck, except the speedo. In a meeting that took place yesterday, Toyota reps acknowledged there is a 'fault' and are currently working on a fix as the customer backlash has been big enough for Toyota to do something about it. It's not just a few people annoyed with a slight difference. I don't know the numbers, but they must be big if Toyota are looking to make a change.

[YAR15]

Blades, maybe you should have got somthing else ay...

Enough preaching. More driving X 2

[Blades]

Blades, maybe you should have got somthing else ay...

Enough preaching. More driving X 2

yeah I should have :)

[YAR15]

WTF If toyota does not fix this guys problem he is gonna drive around with this ad around his yaris.

The only major problem I can see is that he has sand stuck in his vagina.

[Blades]

WTF If toyota does not fix this guys problem he is gonna drive around with this ad around his yaris.

The only major problem I can see is that he has sand stuck in his vagina.

Sand stuck in his vagina? er... Did I miss something?

Jack has been instrumental in making the problem public, hence the reason the ABC has been speaking to him and yesterday Toyota met with him, a very positive meeting at that :)

[YAR15]

Is this your life long goal... is this the one thing that is going to make you happy.

There are more important things in life than this. Graduate from school, go to Uni, get married, have children and your gonna act like as if someone stole your dummy. So what if its way off, if you have never made a mistake in life then spit the dummy.

If you are fortunate to one day have grandchildren, what are you gonna tell them, that you turned a small problem, the size of a sparrows fart, into an earth quake.

[Blades]

Is this your life long goal... is this the one thing that is going to make you happy.

There are more important things in life than this. Graduate from school, go to Uni, get married, have children and your gonna act like as if someone stole your dummy. So what if its way off, if you have never made a mistake in life then spit the dummy.

If you are fortunate to one day have grandchildren, what are you gonna tell them, that you turned a small problem, the size of a sparrows fart, into an earth quake.

I was simply dis-satisfied with a product I purchased, went to the company, their response was a rubber stamp, hence I found other people with the same problem, escalated the problem and now it appears we are going to get a solution. No big deal.

Has nothing to do with life long goals, once the problem is fixed, I'll probably never mention it again, except to say that Toyota were really good once with a problem I had with a vehicle.

I think your age is starting to show and I think you're assuming I'm very young. That my response to this concern is somehow immature. Don't get me wrong, I can totally understand where you're coming from, it's a weird feeling knowing a large purchase you made wasn't a good one, and you don't want people to know, hence you minimise the problem or ignore it.

[SmellyTofu]

If you paid $20k+ for a YR 5 door on the road (even an auto), you certainly got ripped off...

Here's a tip.. read the ECE 39 / ADR 18/03 legislation in regards to this rather than make a spectacle of yourself.

Btw, putting the 15" (185/60R15) wheels and tyres will correct it as well as reduce the odometer so your car will be clocking on less k's than it's actually done.

HTH.

[Blades]

If you paid $20k+ for a YR 5 door on the road (even an auto), you certainly got ripped off...

Here's a tip.. read the ECE 39 / ADR 18/03 legislation in regards to this rather than make a spectacle of yourself.

Btw, putting the 15" (185/60R15) wheels and tyres will correct it as well as reduce the odometer so your car will be clocking on less k's than it's actually done.

HTH.

Really? I paid $20,694 for the 5 door including everything (delivery deliver / stamp duty / rego), probably wasn't a cheap price, but the guy that looked after me was friendly, and I felt he looked after me, so I wasn't out to drill him on price. I feel I paid a 'fair' price for a good vehicle, hence the reason I am disappointed with the speedo. If I had drilled the guy on price and got a couple of thousand off, then I probably would have to just wear it.

If you mean the legislation stating : 0 ≤ (V1- V2) ≤ 0.1 V2 + 4 km/h which if you calculate out allows up to 14km's difference (someone correct me if I'm wrong as I'm not 100% sure on that). Then I've been made aware of that. It's probably the poorest bit of manufacturing quality I've heard of, but I'm aware of it. I had no knowledge of it prior to purchasing my vehicle, and feel that the discrepancy is too high, hence the reason I wanted to bring this to the attention of Toyota. As for making a spectacle of myself, I wouldn't go that far, I came on here asking if other people had experienced the same problem. I've received messages from people who have, I've also received alot of bashing from people who obviously love their cars (and that's fine) and they don't want anyone saying anything negative about the type of car they have, hence the reason they have a go at me.

RE : 15" tyres, yes I've heard that is the case, but why should I buy $1000 worth of new tyres just because Toyota Aust. decided not to put on the tyres that Toyota Japan designed the car to have? The fact that it will then be logging low km doesn't worry me at all.

[YAR15]

well... im 18.

"it appears we are going to get a solution."

Im sorry but I think that the only solution I can see is a change in wheels, and thats pushing it. If Toyota got a software upgrade, well even I would get it, but you will be disappointed if you believed in it. I really do hope to see a solution to this problem and I ask for you to please keep us informed through your website. Hey... I hope im wrong.

btw I have told many people about the "dangerous" spedometer error that there car has. They couldn't care less, because a large material item that we all bought has a problem if you want it to be or not. Yes I have minimised it by putting on larger wheels, cause I couldn't ignore it.

good luck

[SmellyTofu]

You must love being ripped off. $1000 for 4x15" steel rims, 4x wheel trims, 4x185/60R15 (cheaper if you get 195/55R15 but I shouldn't tell you that) and even cheaper on Ebay but I also shouldn't tell you that... also I shouldn't tell you that by going up to 15", that handling, ride and resale improves (lower odo reading)... How about you pay me $1000, I'll pocket the change.

I don't see the point of your complaint. I too speak to many YR owners, none have complained or even noticed which leads me to my question... what is the problem? It works to the law (which is determined by the UN). You want to complain, take it to the UN.

Come to think of it, I love the stickers on the car. It'd show the world how much you love the Yaris so much that you need to plaster it with go-fast stickers. With all that vinyl on it, it must produce and extra 30kW ATW!!!!!one11111

Btw, yes $20.6k is too much... ripped off. Sure did.

baibai! HTH