I know you must be wondering if this is possible. Yes, it’s quite easy to tamper with the odometer of a car and roll it back to low or zero mileage.
Many car importers and local dealers tamper with the odometer readings so as to make more money selling a used car. So yes, it’s super-possible. With technology, it’s done so neat that you won’t even guess.
Furthermore, modern cars are much better made. The interior is made so neat and the trim doesn’t show signs of long use. Check out old BMWs and you will understand what I mean.
Digital odometers can be adjusted digitally, with none of the screw head marks or other damage you used to see in the old cars that indicated that the odometer had been tampered with.
On modern cars, you simply plug in the car to a laptop via the diagnostic port and apply the correct software and adjust the odometer to whatever value you like, leaving no evidence of the crime.
This function exists so that you can set correct mileage when replacing the dash binnacle with a new one or a used replacement.
This adjustment is however not completely hidden. The main dealer can see how many times the mileage has been manually set.
Don’t be afraid to purchase a car because used car dealers aren’t the number one culprits in this crime. Penalties for doing this are too high and they also aim at maintaining good reputations.
It’s actually consumers and individual sellers that tamper with the car mileage to a larger extent. Often car leases have strict mileage limits with harsh penalties, so consumers are paying for mileage adjustment services to avoid these fees. In addition to this, sellers may roll back the odometer to boost the resell value of their cars.
On older cars, you could easily tell that the car mileage had been tampered with by checking the screws on the dash for scratches etc. It was also possible to spot wear on the car seats, the pedals, the steering wheel and the gear lever.
Knowing if your car’s odometer has been adjusted in modern cars might not be easy especially because modern cars’ interior is made so neat and the trim doesn’t show signs of long use.
However, that said, it’s quite easy in most cases to notice if the odometer has been tampered with. I am specifically referring to really low-mileage claims that draw suspicions.
To know if the odometer is telling a lesser tale of the miles traveled:
- Check out the vehicle’s tyres’ manufacturing date
Don’t know how to do this? Try to google how. It’s so easy.
If the car has got tyres post its manufacturing label and the seller is claiming low mileage say less than 7,000 miles in case of motorcycles or 10,000 miles or less in case of cars, well that’s a fat lie!
Ask the seller how come the tyres changed, if the vehicle’s mileage is that low. And if s/he says some accident messed the tyres, then it has to be only one tyre changed, if it is both or all four, s/he is lying because in such low mileage, you don’t need to change sets, you can only replace the damaged one.
- Use common sense
If the car is, for instance, 5 years old and he is claiming it has 20,000 miles, common sense says that is impossible. Better yet, check if it doesn’t have the original tires or the tires on it are worn out, then that’s a fake value.
- Look under the hood
If you see a lot of dirt and grime, a lot of wear and tear, then the car might be older than as advertised.
- Check out for replaced parts
May be this is a Honda car but, with the help of a mechanic, you notice non-Honda parts like a replaced alternator and starter, this is a clear indication that the car’s mileage might not be a true reflection of distance traveled.
Also, beware if the car has new parts that ordinarily would not be replaced until over 60,000 miles. Seek assistance from a mechanic to know this.
- Loose steering, worn out interior and worn out seats
This can only happen if a car has travelled more than 30,000 miles, or if the car has been heavily abused. Either way, don’t part with your money for this.
- Look for missing screws on or near the dashboard.
If the dashboard isn’t put together perfectly and the screws inside or near it look scratched, then the odometer may have been tampered with.
- Examine the odometer
- Some vehicles’ mileage is actually stored in a few different locations , and since being digital , an error will show up if the odometer is tampered with. show up.
Even if a body computer or a dash cluster is replaced , the mileage will still be a bit off.
Look closely at the figures on the odometer. Some auto makers program odometers to show an asterisk if the mileage is tampered with.
Some odometers have a black space between the numbers. If you notice a white or silver space, the odometer has probably been rolled back.
- Check for Actual Mileage
Mileage is logged in the ECU so with a scan tool, you can easily look at the actual mileage in the ECU. Even if one were to swap a different cluster in, it won’t work in the car since they have to be matched to the rest of the car’s modules.
- Also lookout for worn out accelerator and brake pedals
Compare the wear on the rubber pads to a similar vehicle with known similar mileage. The wear of the two vehicles should be somewhat similar.
Lastly,
Knowingly selling a car with a faulty odometer or a false or rolled back odometer reading is illegal, unless the discrepancy is disclosed.
Try to noticed the signs of a rolled back odometer before you buy a car.
