Odometer Resetting By Used Car Sellers (My Experiance)

[iPrabhath]

Hello friends,

I'm writing this just for your information.

I have been searching a used car for around 15 lakhs from last three months.Found a Nissan N16 in autolanka classifieds for 16.5 lakhs. Here goes the details of the car (What I can remember by now)

Registration No : GD-XXXX

Color : Green

Engine Capacity : 1300CC

Transmission : Manual

MFY : 2000

I went to see the car to owners place and its condition was not that good due to following reasons.

1 . Repainting done with a bad quality

2 . Mileage : 240,000 Km

Additionally it was an open papers car(I know something bad is hidden always). Anyway I made an offer of 15.5 lakhs and owner was ok with that offer. But I decided not to buy it at the end of the day.

Few weeks back I saw the car in a sale close to Nugegoda and I visited the place just to have a look. They had done interior and engine compartment cleaning. Additionally I saw that odometer reading is 124,000 Km. Their price for the car is 18.5 lakhs now.

I believe that this is useful for people who are planing to go for used cars. My personal opionion is

1 . Open papers cars

2 . Used cars in car sales

Are dangerous.It's up to you to decide.

[Simplelife]

Dude, these are very common practice in most of the local car dealers and it has been discussed to the depth in some of the past threads.

[Gyiman]

Can it not be reported?

[Watchman]

Would it be a against rules if the vehicle number was mentioned in the forum?

It might be wishful thinking but maybe if there's at least a mention of it someone who sees the car at the sale might know to turn away from it.

[indikap]

I also realized that when i am hunting a car for the same range (1.5m-1.8m). One seller (re-seller) around Borala****uwa has advertised for the car. i went and have a look. As per him, the meter reading is around 75k (the car is 2001 mazda bj3p) and fuel consumption is around 14-15kmpl. He said this car is used by his wife and now he is selling as he want to go for the other car. Car is repainted and number plate also replaced (not original).

Thank google. I just type his mobile number on the web and realized that he is used to sell a car in each week. Any car he was sold having same kind of conditions. (millage 50-70k and fuel is 14-15kmpl). Other important thing is the location of the vehicle vary like Nugegoda, Papiliyana, Maharagama or close city to the Borala****uwa. I am quite sure that he is used to say same story for all the buyer and changing the odometer for that range.

[kush]

Best is to buy from the registered owner. You can make resonable assumptions regarding the milage based on the age and the condition of the car.

[jayashantha12345]

thank you ppl.. it helps us

[Nilantha]

I also realized that when i am hunting a car for the same range (1.5m-1.8m). One seller (re-seller) around Borala****uwa has advertised for the car. i went and have a look. As per him, the meter reading is around 75k (the car is 2001 mazda bj3p) and fuel consumption is around 14-15kmpl. He said this car is used by his wife and now he is selling as he want to go for the other car. Car is repainted and number plate also replaced (not original).

Thank google. I just type his mobile number on the web and realized that he is used to sell a car in each week. Any car he was sold having same kind of conditions. (millage 50-70k and fuel is 14-15kmpl). Other important thing is the location of the vehicle vary like Nugegoda, Papiliyana, Maharagama or close city to the Borala****uwa. I am quite sure that he is used to say same story for all the buyer and changing the odometer for that range.

i know this person. he is live close to pepiliyana. according to my knowledge he was working in Mount Levinia hotel. i bought my 301 - 8xxx G Grade AE110 from him but when i was buying he was the registered owner. he was 2nd owner but after i bought i saw he had registered the vehicle before 2 weeks. i remember he had done the odometer change. mazda bj3p never do 14-15kmpl. its only do 10kmpl.

[Sylvi]

Members,

Almost all registered and used imported car dealers, have a habit of reducing the original Kilometers done on the car to impress the buyers. This practice was there for more ten years in Srilanka. It is very difficult to stop this

There are some meter adjusters had found a method without removing any parts of the odometer, to adjust same to the requirement of the (seller) owner. some do remove memory chip changed to new one and reprogrammed.

This is done by Srilankan few genius computer technicians. I have mentioned about this problem in earlier thread.

The new end user will heave to suffer to guess and change various parts before their life time like timing belts.

If I am not mistaken the new High end cars the odometer is registered on the ECU. I am definitely sure the meter adjusters will find a way to erase that too.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

Edited December 13, 2011 by Sylvi

[virtu]

It is better you consider about the condition of the vehicle rather than its millege as most of the ODO milege of the vehicles(specially cars) are not genuine.

You can roughly come to a conclusion of the ODO meter value by examining the vehicles condition. But there are lot of cars that are in mint condition even after 150k kilometers!!!

As far as I know it is not possible to technically prove the real ODO meter reading.

[xlr8r]

How many of u have seen a car in Sri Lanka which has done over 250000 Kms? Even if there is one would u consider buying it?

Sri lankan mind set is that the car should have lower mileage to buy, hence the sellers simply cater their needs. i think the buyers have created this trend than the sellers.

Edited December 13, 2011 by xlr8r

[Sylvi]

How many of u have seen a car in Sri Lanka which has done over 250000 Kms? Even if there is one would u consider buying it?

Sri lankan mind set is that the car should have lower mileage to buy, hence the sellers simply cater their needs. i think the buyers have created this trend than the sellers.

'xlr8r,

Yes to your post. Buyers wanted sellers did the trick.

Buyers wanted low kilometers used vehicles when open era ( after 1978) started with mostly Japanese vehicles. there were few UK used vehicles too entered srilankan market at that time.

I was in and out of japan during 1975 till end 1980s during that time all srilankans embraced Japanese vehicles because they were reconditioned vehicles.

As the buyers wanted low mileage used vehicles sellers did the analog odometer adjustments to satisfy srilankan buyers.

At early stages analog meters was adjustment cost Rupees 250.00. Even big old European vehicle import service garages in Colombo which are no more, had meter repair departments, they too did this for the request of their customers requirements accordingly,

Later Digital came for few years no one could do any thing to odometers.

Then one person did burn the first figure of the digital meter this was the start of adjusting the digital odometers. Later one computer genius found the correct method of adjusting Digital meter without any one noticing the change.

Few of his workers followed same, some are big time importers now they have made millions.

Srilankans were first to do adjust digital odometers in the world to my knowledge.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[vishkid]

The bj3p (or was it 5p?) in question is a famous one - touted by this seller under various different guises. IIRC he did the same with a Hyundai Coupe.

[indikap]

The bj3p (or was it 5p?) in question is a famous one - touted by this seller under various different guises. IIRC he did the same with a Hyundai Coupe.

It was BJ3P. I am used to call him using different numbers, if i saw his advertisement on the hitadd or autolanka. I am really enjoying his sales pattern and lies. Guy is changing his wife also in each sales i guess. Some time he said the vehicle is with his sister. Some time with his wife and so on. Please be aware on that guy. White guy and good in english. He is more or less like a businessmen! He is selling vehicles bellow 2 mil. That could be is working capitol. He is used to sell Cefiro, Mazda as per my findings. If any one need further information i can give in private.

Edited December 14, 2011 by indikap

[Nilantha]

"Guy is changing his wife also in each sales i guess" is it not possible to buy his wife

[indikap]

"Guy is changing his wife also in each sales i guess" is it not possible to buy his wife

I am sure he is willing to sell. But you should be very careful about the millage as he is used reduce 50% of the odometer. He will says,

01. I am the first owner

02. Used as a backup vehicle

03. Carefully used

04. Recently painted due to color fading

05. Good in fuel

06. 1.75m O.N.O

07. Low millage

Edited December 14, 2011 by indikap

[Nilantha]

I am sure he is willing to sell. But you should be very careful about the millage as he is used reduce 50% of the odometer. He will says,

01. I am the first owner

02. Used as a backup vehicle

03. Carefully used

04. Recently painted due to color fading

05. Good in fuel

06. 1.75m O.N.O

07. Low millage

[SLA]

I personally know abt a toyota Corolla 121 car (brand new imported, manual) which has over 250k in the meter. It is owned by a government bank, company maintained. Car is still in very good condition without any engine repair done (only the usual maintenance is done). If you change its ODO meter to somethin like 80k, no one will suspect!!!!

So better you always consider abt the condition of the vehicle, not the ODO meter

[mazdaspeed]

Agree that gauging a car mileage is hard now; not just with used cars but even unregistered ones.

A car with high mileage with maintenance records would be a better buys, but these cars won’t come by if you go to a car sales joint easily.

Another way to get the mileage is to see if the emission papers are available

[Nilantha]

but im 100% sure every person concern about the mileage when go to buy a vehicle. just read news paper classified vehicle adds you can't find vehicle mileage over 150k

[SLA]

ya.. thats true .

Anyway there are lot of people those who dont run over 6000-7000 Km per year. So for an example, a 2001 model car which came to SL in 2004 with 30000Km in the ODO(That is a J*-xxxx number plated) may still have only around 70000km in the meter. So a K*-xxxx series car having less than 100k in the ODO would be acceptable in general.

However Its better you pay more attention on enterior/exterior and engine condition of a vehicle, before looking at theODO meter value !!!

[fonfe]

just so ya all know, this can not be fully done on a discovery 3/4, range rover sport or any 2006 onwards range rover or fl2.

you can change the display reading but when looked at with the IDS program in a dealership you can see the distance travelled in each transmission mode and if it doesnt add up then it doesnt add up.

will need a trip to the dealer to be told this, but takes about 10mins to do and is well worth it if your about to hand over a large wad of your hard earned cash

[indikap]

This is another real story happened to my friend. Last Saturday morning he called me and said that he found a good quality (may be good look) cefiro car and he made a advance for reservation. . Then i realized the seller is same guy mentioned under this topic, but this time from Piliyandala. I have told about that guy and instruct to buy it only after inspect it properly. My friend has got the copy of the book and traced the few previous owners contact number via leasing companies. As per the last owner he has used it for 5 years and replace the engine. And the odometer reading was 130K+ when he selling the car. But now 90K. He has sold it for 1.2 mil just 3 month before and now it is 1.69 mil. . He also said that it doesn't worth over 1.4 m.

P.N. I don't want to personally attack to this seller. But i am really worry about his misleading procedure. This time he has mentioned that he is the owner of "US C** Sa**" and car has been used by his wife for a long time. Please check carefully when you are going to buy a second hand car. Don't hurry. It is not the only car in SL to buy!!!

[Nilantha]

is this diesel?

[indikap]

is this diesel?

Petrol. You can see it under nissan cefiro section in AL!