Predictive diagnostic method

A method of predicting defects likely to occur in a vehicle over a predetermined period, the method comprising:

• a) receiving, at a server, vehicle characteristic data regarding a vehicle under consideration;
• b) establishing a defect database in the server, the defect database having information related to defects that have occurred in different vehicles and the reference mileage at which such defects occurred;
• c) identifying, at the server, defects that occurred in vehicles corresponding to the vehicle under consideration, and the reference mileage at which such defects occurred;
• d) comparing, at the server, vehicle characteristic data associated with the vehicle under test with vehicle characteristic data associated with the identified defects stored in the defect database to identify defects that have occurred in vehicles that substantially correspond to the vehicle under consideration;
• and
• e) restricting, at the server, the identified defects to defects that have occurred in substantially corresponding vehicles that are associated with a reference mileage that is within a mileage bracket that extends at least 10,000 miles beyond the current mileage of the vehicle.

A method of predicting defects likely to occur in a vehicle over a predetermined period, the method comprising:

• a) receiving, at a server, vehicle characteristic data regarding a vehicle under consideration;
• b) establishing a defect database in the server, the defect database having information related to defects that have occurred in different vehicles and the reference mileage at which such defects occurred;
• c) identifying, at the server, defects that occurred in vehicles corresponding to the vehicle under consideration, and the reference mileage at which such defects occurred;
• d) comparing, at the server, vehicle characteristic data associated with the vehicle under test with vehicle characteristic data associated with the identified defects stored in the defect database to identify defects that have occurred in vehicles that substantially correspond to the vehicle under consideration;
• and
• e) restricting, at the server, the identified defects to defects that have occurred in substantially corresponding vehicles that are associated with a reference mileage that is within a mileage bracket that extends 10,000 miles about the current mileage of the vehicle.

A method of predicting defects likely to occur in a vehicle over a predetermined period, the method comprising:

• a) receiving, at a server, vehicle characteristic data regarding a vehicle under consideration;
• b) establishing a defect database in the server, the defect database having information related to defects that have occurred in different vehicles and the reference mileage at which such defects occurred;
• c) identifying, at the server, defects that occurred in vehicles corresponding to the vehicle under consideration, and the reference mileage at which such defects occurred;
• d) comparing, at the server, vehicle characteristic data associated with the vehicle under test with vehicle characteristic data associated with the identified defects stored in the defect database to identify defects that have occurred in vehicles that substantially correspond to the vehicle under consideration;
• and
• e) restricting, at the server, the identified defects to defects that have occurred in substantially corresponding vehicles that are associated with a reference mileage that is within a mileage bracket that is sufficiently extensive as to encompass vehicle defects that are unrelated to any current vehicle defects.