Odometer rollback
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Seattle
Odometer rollback
How common is it for this to happen now adays? I remember hearing an awful lot about it in the 90's but it sort of dropped off the radar.
Is this still done, or is this no longer profitable for criminals?
Is this still done, or is this no longer profitable for criminals?
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: So Cal
My opinion is that the electronic odometers are harder to roll back since the mileage is kep in the computer and you need some special softweare and hardware to do it. The other problem is that usually there are several organizations keeping track of your miles insurance for one and state DMZ when you sell. So somewhere there is a record that states what you mileage was at some point in time and if your current mileage doesn't stack up, some one can probably find out the truth.
The old mechanical odometers were easy to roll back, anyone who could get the odo out of the car could roll it back.
Just my opinion,
Jim Henderson
The old mechanical odometers were easy to roll back, anyone who could get the odo out of the car could roll it back.
Just my opinion,
Jim Henderson
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Seattle
I was wondering about that. I was about to ask why they don't just keep the odometer readings on the computer so that any tampering would be obvious - but it sound like they do anyway.
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From: Marion, VA
It's tracked several different ways. When I was considering trading my last truck (sold it myself), the Carfax came back as "odometer discrepancy". It was an apparent input error somewhere along the way but with 179,000 miles showing, it clearly wasn't me or the person I purchased it from (son-in-law) at 170,000 miles.
If you have a question, you need to check it out before you buy because some people have been known to switch the clusters for lower mileage ones from salvage yards.
If you have a question, you need to check it out before you buy because some people have been known to switch the clusters for lower mileage ones from salvage yards.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: The Armpit Of America!
The last time I heard, which was about 5 years ago, they were making chips that dishonest repair shops would plant somewhere in the vehicle to change the miles. I don't know where or how or if they still do it. Hopefully not. The last dealership I worked at took a 99ish Jimmy in from auction and the one mechanic called me over and showed me where someone had put a switch in behind the glove box to, I think, power down the cluster. You could tell by looking at the Jimmy that it had way more miles on it than what the odometer read. Oh well. Wutcha' gonna' do?
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: charlotte nc
In North Carolina and all states that require an anual emmissions inspection the yearly odometer reading is stored and even if you do "roll it back" it will be flaged when its inspected the next year........fool proof
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From: Eau Claire, WI
Originally Posted by thefarelaneman
fool proof
I dont really care about milage. Before I buy a car, I througherly inspectiomionate it... Next car I buy I'm putting on a hoist before I buy it, there's more rust on my trofieo then visible from the outside...
o well, it happens
~Nate
