People sometimes turn back the odometers on rental cars to avoid paying higher rates. This technique can also be used by those who want to earn more from the sale of a used car. The average variation is around 50,000 km, and this can drive up the selling price by thousands of euros. Spot and avoid odometer scams by examining booklets, maintenance records, overhaul stickers, tire tread depth and vehicle components.
Steps
Step 1. Examine the odometer to find the number of kilometers
- Cars travel around 20,000 km per year on average. For example, if a car is more than 5 years old, but less than 100,000 km, the odometer may have been altered.
- Look closely at the odometer numbers. Some manufacturers program odometers to show an asterisk if the measurement is changed.
- General Motors mechanical speedometers have a black space between the numbers. If you see a white or silver space, the measurement has probably been changed.
Step 2. Ask the seller to show you the original vehicle registration document and not a copy
If the booklet is foreign or new, it is possible that it is not the original one but a fake, and that the odometer reading has been altered.
Be sure to carefully examine the number of kilometers on the booklet and look for signs of burrs or other alterations. In the booklet you should read the kilometers traveled with a defined character on a clean background
Step 3. Ask to see oil change and overhaul receipts and coupons
Examine the number of kilometers on receipts and coupons and compare them with the odometer. You can find the service stickers on the doors or windows.
Step 4. Look for missing screws on the dashboard
If the dashboard is not assembled perfectly, the odometer may have been tampered with.
Step 5. Inspect the brake pedal and floor mats
If any of these items are heavily worn, but the odometer shows a low value, it could be a case of a scam.
Step 6. Take the vehicle to a mechanic and ask him to examine the car for wear
A mechanic will recognize the original parts of an old car. For example, if the odometer reads 50,000 kilometers, but parts have been replaced in the car that will last for 100,000 kilometers, be careful. It is possible that the odometer has been altered.
Step 7. Measure the tire tread depth
If the odometer reads 40,000 kilometers, the car should still have its original tires, with a 1.6mm deeper tread. Ask the mechanic to measure the depth with a suitable tool.
You can check the tire depth yourself with a penny coin. Insert the penny into the tread upside down. If Lincoln's head is partially covered, the tread is 1.6mm deeper
Advice
- In the United States, you can check a vehicle's odometer history and measurements at vehiclehistory.gov, a non-profit organization created by an act of Congress.
- As with pedal and floor wear, excessive windshield and paint wear can indicate odometer tampering. Of course, the absence of this element is not a definitive proof - the windshields can be replaced and the body repainted. However, if the windshield is almost white when you drive in the sun, but the odometer shows 70,000 km, there is something wrong.
