Rav 4

Has anyone had a issue with the speedometer being off by 2 mph? I bought a Rav 4 for the wife XSE hybrid and the speedometer reads 2-3 mph faster than what GPS and driving next to other vehicles pacing with them says. Had to make a appointment for service and all the service writers say they have never seen this before.

 

they told me this is normal and the service guy said he can duplicate this on any vehicle any make. I told the guy i paced it with 2 other cars and it is off even have a video of a speed camera confirming this. Still crickets I guess i'll have to go down to the state police and see if they will radar it for me and get a written statement saying it is off.

 

Can't say that I've ever had a speedo that indicates slower than actual on any stock vehicle. Ever.
Though many, many years ago I did pay a calibration guy a fee to write a report that mine did.

 

it reads 2mph faster than it is so cruise set at 60 I'm actually doing 58. And GPS says 58 along with my other car. They said 1 to 4mph difference from speedo to gps is normal 5 off there is probably a problem.

 

Did you change the tires or buy it pre-owned? Check the tire size vs what it's supposed to be on your door sill sticker. If they're a little smaller than oem then the speedometer won't be calibrated for your tire size.

 

That's the opposite of what you wrote in the first post.

 

Brand new

 

Nearly every vehicle I've ever owned has a speedo that reads faster than actual. It's totally normal.

 

What ace said is true too, tacomas included. The tire design size for the 2nd gens at least makes the speedometer read wrong, but most people end up stepping up to 265/75/R16 or equivalent and then it's perfect. If it really bothers you and they can't reprogram it just get slightly larger tires.

 

when you spend 43k on a vehicle i expect it be right. The fact that i spent 4 hours waiting for it and the service kid didn't even hook a scan tool to it. Is complete garbage. I have never had a gps on my nav read different than the speedo

 

I have read that toyota does this on purpose from all the research i've done it just doesn't seem right. I read that all manufactures do this I guess hyundai didn't get the memo because it is right on.

 

Every car that's ever been made is off a little. We just didn't know it until we got GPS. Your odometer is off too. Tires wear down and get smaller as they wear out. Your speedometer will be closer to accurate by the time you wear these out, then will be off again when you buy new. 2mph is closer than most.

Because of minor differences in tires, even of the same size, and the fact they get smaller as you drive them it's impossible to get it 100% accurate 100% of the time. Your wheel speed sensors are just counting revolutions and doing the math based on what they think is the tire circumference. Your GPS is going to be more accurate.

 

as the tire wears down you will read faster not slower. Speedo already reads faster than actual. I know how tires work and speed sensors work what I'm saying is to make it 2mph slower intentionally so they can't be sued buy a ignorant person that says the speedo lied to me is sad.

 

you probably read my first post in which i wrote it backwards.

 

...I bought a Rav 4 for the wife XSE hybrid and the speedometer reads 2-3 mph slower than what GPS and driving next to other vehicles pacing with them says...

 

In the United States, there are no federal regulations regarding the accuracy of speedometers, but manufacturers often follow standards like SAE J1226, which allows for a speedometer reading to be within a range of plus or minus four percent off the actual speed.

Therefore, while manufacturers may calibrate speedometers to read slightly higher, this is not a legal requirement but rather a practical approach to ensure drivers are aware of their speed and comply with speed limits.

 

i know right lol.

 

@LiquidArrogance i do appreciate the humor.

 

It's normal on many vehicles, not just yours.

I don't trust GPS or my speedo. The only thing I truly trust is the residential radar traps, they are consistent here.

GPS is triangulation many many miles above head. Speedo is waveform, which gets less accurate as speed goes up.

Radar/Lidar? It's most effective if calibrated.