In Pakistan, one of the biggest concerns and fears of almost every used car buyer is to buy a car without knowing that its odometer has been tampered with. Meter Peechay Kerna or odometer tampering/rollback despite being an illegal and immoral practice has nonetheless been practiced for long by some unscrupulous elements in the auto industry.
When odometers became digitized, it was hoped that this practice would end; it didn’t. Previously, if the mechanical odometers were physically tampered with, the scammers now used software to rollback digitized odometers. All in all, their purpose is to increase the sale price of a used car.
There are ways to tell if an odometer (mechanical and digital) has been tampered with and in this blog we will show you how you can protect yourself from such a fraud.
How To Tell If A Mechanical Odometer Has Been Tampered With?
Unlike digital odometers, the process involving rolling back of mechanical odometers is less smooth. To rollback a mechanical odometer, one would have to take the instrument out of the dashboard, disassemble it and roll back its digit gears. So, if you are about to buy a used car with mechanical odometer, look for:
- Scratches on dashboard
- Scratches and signs of disassembly on the dashboard and odometer
- Do the numbers of the odometer look misaligned? If yes, the meter has been tampered
- Do the instrument panel parts fit correctly? Look for any missing screws or parts, etc.
As compared to mechanical odometers, digital odometer tampering cannot always be detected with the naked eye. Though there are ways to detect digital odometer tampering as well.
How To Tell If A Digital Odometer Has Been Tampered With?
If it’s too good to be true, it isn’t true.
If the car you are about to buy is about 10 years old and yet its odometer shows 20,000 Kms on it, be concerned. Suspiciously low odometer readings are usually a red flag; however, there are some exceptions, so make sure you talk to the owner as he may have a legitimate excuse for very low mileage.
If you are buying a used, imported and auctioned car then demand to see its auction sheet. Among others, the auction sheet carries information on the car’s mileage. So, if the car was imported five years ago with a total mileage of 50,000 Kms and its odometer is now showing 40,000 or something similar, you know that its odometer has been tempered.
Sometimes, it so happens that in the rush to rollback the odometer, fraudsters forget to change the numbers in Trip A or Trip B. For example, the odometer may show the total mileage of 80,000, while in Trip A or Trip B, the number may exceed 80,000. If this is the case then walk away from the car as its odometer is definitely tampered with.
If you’ve done your due diligence and still aren’t satisfied then hire the services of a professional mechanic and ask him to check the car’s internal components. A car’s mileage is recorded on both the odometer and control module. Sometimes, scammers in a rush while rolling back the odometer forget to change the numbers on the control module. A professional mechanic can help you read mileage on the control module and then compare that number with the odometer.
These were some of the helpful tips and tricks to protect yourself from becoming the next victim of odometer tampering. Do let us know if you have tips of your own.
You may also like to read:
Car Odometer Warning Signs and What Do They Tell About Your Car?
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