Odometer theft

[Moab]

So were searching for a car for my son. Specifically a Toyota RAV4. Out of 4 carfax weve run - three have odometer theft on them. Meaning the car has like 250k but the odometer says 150k. And it shows on the carfax from the last smog inspection or dmv change.

Someone in central LA has figured out how to change electronic odometer guages. This seems quite rampant. Back in the day this was a serious offense. I guess we dont have the police resources for this anymore.

So sick of wasting $20 on each of these. But thank god for carfax. So pissed tho.

 

[AMS417]

So were searching for a car for my son. Specifically a Toyota RAV4. Out of 4 carfax weve run - three have odometer theft on them. Meaning the car has like 250k but the odometer says 150k. And it shows on the carfax from the last smog inspection or dmv change.

Someone in central LA has figured out how to change electronic odometer guages. This seems quite rampant. Back in the day this was a serious offense. I guess we dont have the police resources for this anymore.

So sick of wasting $20 on each of these. But thank god for carfax. So pissed tho.

Happened to my dad, he bought a 2011 F150 with 100k miles showing in nice cosmetic condition. Engine failed soon after and he had it rebuilt, mechanic said this truck look really beat down mechanically for the low mileage. I ran a Car Fax and found it had over 300k miles on it the previous year. Someone updated the odometer and sent it to auction. The dealer he bought it from claimed they had no idea (auction would have flagged the mileage discrepancy). Its way to common now days. Spend the $20 or ask for a dealer provided report and keep it so you can sue them later

My dad was working drag the dealer into court and they closed the business a couple months later. No recourse according to the lawyer.

Pic of me hauling my dads broken truck:

 

[tworley]

Ive seen it a few times when I was car shopping. Car fax shows 200k + miles on several dates, but dashboard reads lower. Hard to believe someone would fat-finger the incorrect mileage multiple times. So its in CO too.

Though I dont think you can change the odometer with a computer. People just buy used odometers on eBay, Amazon or the junkyard and swap the entire cluster out.

 

[Tranz Zam]

Happens a lot. On GM trucks you can swap clusters and it'll read the mileage from the new cluster.

There's also devices that can be installed on newer vehicles running Canbus systems where it makes the computer systems read/record the mileage in half speed. It usually installs between the cluster harness and bcm harness. There's vids on how they work on YouTube. They're pretty interesting.

 

[pagrey]

So sick of wasting $20 on each of these. But thank god for carfax. So pissed tho.

Generally carfax just says that whenever the title says the odometer doesn't read the correct mileage. It is totally normal when the cluster has been replaced on some vehicles, especially old ones. Carfax just doesn't have a checkbox for that and they want to seem like they are telling you something special. When you look at the vehicle the title will clearly say that the odometer isn't correct, it doesn't mean anything illegal ever happened.

 

[cliffish]

I have an "acquaintance" That does this on a regular basis for $200, with the right software plugged into the computer port he can reset almost any odometer except some of the higher end German cars. The local sleazy used car dealers are always coming to him, but they are not that dumb. They look for cars that carfax has not been updated so they can reset to the max with out raising a flag. It is also popular for those who lease, get an ultra low mileage lease and drive the shit out of it and reset every year.

 

[SoCalGlide]

I passed on a TJ that I really liked with a discrepancy between the odometer and the CarFax. This was at a used car dealership, and they had no explanation for it. I passed. Should have passed it on to the D.A.

 

[mxz800]

You can buy a "Mileage Correction Tool" that plugs into the OBD2 port that has the ability to change the mileage.

I keep my vehicles forever, and I have morals so I have no use for the item.

 

[Jezza]

I have a friend that lives in Toronto and they have a tax or something on mileage, so every year or whenever they have inspection he rolls back the mileage with one of those OBD tools. He said it was like $30 from China. He noted that it was important to also change the engine hours as well to not get caught. Not really my thing, but I understand not wanting to pay tax.

 

[JEEPCJTJ]

You can buy a "Mileage Correction Tool" that plugs into the OBD2 port that has the ability to change the mileage.

I keep my vehicles forever, and I have morals so I have no use for the item.

I feel the same but if any government (local, state, or federal) start taxing based on mileage in addition to fuel I will have a use for it.

I wouldn't use it to get cheaper insurance, mainly because I don't drive a ton of miles anyway but I certainly don't want to pay two taxes for the miles I do drive.

 

[Blondie70]

We already pay lots of tax for mileage....the Fed excise tax on gas.!!!!!!

 

[cliffish]

You can buy a "Mileage Correction Tool" that plugs into the OBD2 port that has the ability to change the mileage.

I keep my vehicles forever, and I have morals so I have no use for the item.

Me too! I kind of like watching the odometer crawl up, I currently put over 27K/year on my odo and have 3 vehicles over 100k and they are 2014 and newer.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

What really sucks is when some doofus fat fingers your mileage on a record that goes into carfax and it flags it as odometer fraud. I don't remember what would have been involved in fixing it (or if it was even fixable) but it ended up being easier to just wait for a buyer that didn't run one.

 

[cliffish]

What really sucks is when some doofus fat fingers your mileage on a record that goes into carfax and it flags it as odometer fraud. I don't remember what would have been involved in fixing it (or if it was even fixable) but it ended up being easier to just wait for a buyer that didn't run one.

not easy to fix