Odometer tampering, how common is it?

[AMB]

Started looking around at lower mileage secondhand cars (less than say 180k), mine's due for rego in July, definitely needs 4 new tyres, fluids need changing, don't really want to spend 2 grand on it. Seen a couple of Territorys, (and other makes) that look like they have tired old engines, yet they are saying its only done 139K, or 159K, or similar. Made me think, is odometer tampering easier done these days? I have no idea what's possible with all the technology in cars these days, so thought I'd ask.

[Travesty]

If you have those concerns, get a pre-purchase inspection done at a Ford dealer so they can plug the car in and check the mileage on the IDS.

[Citroënbender]

BA-BF, SX-SY you just put in a lower mileage cluster. C’est facile!

[AMB]

Nah, not concerned, I know enough to be able to judge whether what I'm seeing is consistent with the odometer reading. Of course a discrepency of 50-100 thousand you have no chance, but 200-300 thousand should be obvious. Just saying that I've seen a few examples online that look a bit suspicious, and just thought I'd ask how easy is it these days (for people that way inclined). I mean the engine bay in 139k car shouldn't look like its been flogged, but then again, maybe it a hidden gem, the odometer might be genuine, but its never been cleaned, and they haven't bothered to give it a full detail. There would be other obvious tell tale signs of course.

[AMB]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

BA-BF, SX-SY you just put in a lower mileage cluster. C’est facile!

Yes I thought as much. So you saying that its not so easy with the SZ? Not looking any earlier than SY2 (2009?) with the improved front suspension.

[EBSXR6]

A mate was looking at a used Holden in the early 80s at a used yard, the car looked and drove well but from what he had seen for sale it seemed too cheap.
GMH in their usual penny pinching ways didn't add an extra row to the odometer when they went metric.
The car was traded in by a company so my mate contacted the Company and was told the Car had been around the clock it was a Country Sales Reps Vehicle.

[.:4:.]

In nsw atleast, you look up the rego and it shows the documented kays from the past 3 rego inspections.
Only thing with that is the person who did the inspection can make a typo. My car was 189xxx, 92xxx then 198xxx. So the 92 was a typo not a roll back as in that time I'd had the car for over a decade so i know it wasnt rolled back.

[AMB]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

In nsw atleast, you look up the rego and it shows the documented kays from the past 3 rego inspections.
Only thing with that is the person who did the inspection can make a typo. My car was 189xxx, 92xxx then 198xxx. So the 92 was a typo not a roll back as in that time I'd had the car for over a decade so i know it wasnt rolled back.

Thats' good though, you have some data to access. If the mileage doesn't change much over a few years then you presume that it was garaged and hardly driven (going backwards is obvious). No annual checks in Victoria, so we have no idea. Even if we had to simply report the odometer reading when paying the rego each year would be helpful, at least have something to look at and access.

[Citroënbender]

Originally Posted by AMB

Yes I thought as much. So you saying that it’s not so easy with the SZ? Not looking any earlier than SY2 (2009?) with the improved front suspension.

I have no personal exposure to cluster swaps in the SZ-onwards Territories, or the equivalent Falcons. It may be difficult, it may not.

[prktkljokr]

Really would not go off recorded ks, mate had a Stato that was used as a private charter vehicle, he looked after it like it was gold, the thing had 600,000 on it and still looked like the day he bought it new, he could have put a low k cluster in it and no one would be any wiser him being the only owner.

I bought a Ex mining 2010 4wd canter with only 1500 ks on the clock, when I do a rego check now it has the same, because when I purchased it that was the odometer reading we put down, Obviously had had a new cluster fitted and the odometer was not recorded when it was done.

I also purchased a Hyundai Getz once where the seller missed a 0 off the end of the recorded ks and it showed up as 40,000 on the rego check instead of the 400,000 it had done.

Ks on a car these days is not like it used to be, computer controlled engine management systems injection and cleaner fuel mean cars will do 6-7-800,000ks if looked after no problem at all, I would be more concerned with worn suspension bodged repairs and a bad service history.

I know if you change the cluster in a FG it wont start without a tickle with the programming