Originally Posted by wag123
Originally Posted by StevieC
Rolling back odometers is easy and I have access to the tools to do it. I would never do this but it can be done.
We would only muck with mileage when we installed an ECU and needed it to match.
I don't know about Carfax that seems to be a U.S. thing only really here it's a bit of a joke.
I never said that rolling back odometers couldn't be done, I only said that it doesn't happen frequently because the consequences for getting caught are pretty severe for what little there is to gain, and it is VERY easy to get caught now days, especially in areas like Texas where there are mandatory yearly vehicle inspections. I have been directly involved in the car business for over 45 years and I have not seen this commonly done for over 30 years, and to my knowledge, not done at all for at least 15 years. At one time there were people that spun odometers for a living, going from dealer to dealer on a weekly basis. Not any more.
Carfax is definitely not a joke in the US, and Carfax can NOT be gamed. The "show me the Carfax" commercials have definitely worked, 90% of used vehicle shoppers will ask to see one within 10 minutes of looking at a vehicle they are interested-in. Furthermore, many dealers will NOT purchase a vehicle at auction if there is an accident report listed on it's Carfax. If you don't think that something like this affects a vehicle's resale value, think again. Most dealers automatically pull a Carfax when they are evaluating a trade-in and adjust their offer accordingly.
I don't know texas, but if the annual safety inspection have to be done even if the vehicle is brand new, then I agree with you that it would be difficult to circumvent the odometer reading being recorded.
However, in places like California there is no safety check at all and the emission starts after the vehicle is four years or older. That's plenty of time to avoid any third party checks and temper with the odometer reading without anyone noticing. Ride share is super popular here with Nissan and Toyota catering to Uber and Lyft drivers with favorable leases. It's not hard to imagine that plenty of these vehicles would be over the allowable mileage during lease returns. So if the dealers themselves don't do it, plenty people will to avoid fines.
In a large metropolitan area, I would not touch a 2-3 year old used vehicle because chances are it was used for ride sharing. I would rather buy an ex-rental.
Originally Posted by StevieC
Rolling back odometers is easy and I have access to the tools to do it. I would never do this but it can be done.
We would only muck with mileage when we installed an ECU and needed it to match.
I don't know about Carfax that seems to be a U.S. thing only really here it's a bit of a joke.
I never said that rolling back odometers couldn't be done, I only said that it doesn't happen frequently because the consequences for getting caught are pretty severe for what little there is to gain, and it is VERY easy to get caught now days, especially in areas like Texas where there are mandatory yearly vehicle inspections. I have been directly involved in the car business for over 45 years and I have not seen this commonly done for over 30 years, and to my knowledge, not done at all for at least 15 years. At one time there were people that spun odometers for a living, going from dealer to dealer on a weekly basis. Not any more.
Carfax is definitely not a joke in the US, and Carfax can NOT be gamed. The "show me the Carfax" commercials have definitely worked, 90% of used vehicle shoppers will ask to see one within 10 minutes of looking at a vehicle they are interested-in. Furthermore, many dealers will NOT purchase a vehicle at auction if there is an accident report listed on it's Carfax. If you don't think that something like this affects a vehicle's resale value, think again. Most dealers automatically pull a Carfax when they are evaluating a trade-in and adjust their offer accordingly.
I don't know texas, but if the annual safety inspection have to be done even if the vehicle is brand new, then I agree with you that it would be difficult to circumvent the odometer reading being recorded.
However, in places like California there is no safety check at all and the emission starts after the vehicle is four years or older. That's plenty of time to avoid any third party checks and temper with the odometer reading without anyone noticing. Ride share is super popular here with Nissan and Toyota catering to Uber and Lyft drivers with favorable leases. It's not hard to imagine that plenty of these vehicles would be over the allowable mileage during lease returns. So if the dealers themselves don't do it, plenty people will to avoid fines.
In a large metropolitan area, I would not touch a 2-3 year old used vehicle because chances are it was used for ride sharing. I would rather buy an ex-rental.
